Yuri put his robe away. He knew little about people’s career but the first day on the job had been exhausting. Did people meet the most wanted man in the world on their first day at work? Probably not.

Now that they were back in the living-room of the van — the Perseverance. There was one question he wanted to be answered.

“Rem,” Yuri said. “Is time-travel possible?”

L and T weren't in the room, but Yuri felt they were listening to this conversation. Yuri picked that moment to turn to his left and discover L had joined them.

‘Hello, I am sorry, but can I join the conversation?’ L said cheerfully. 'T wants to be here, but she isn’t in the mood to talk, so what is it about time-travel?’

Rem gazed at her with an analytical eye of a hawk.

L greeted the hero’s stare with bravado, showing no sign he was bothering her in the slightest.

“Why don’t you tell Yuri about your past?” Dream said. “The cat is out of the bag, Lin.”

‘Don’t use that name !’ L said.

“Lin?” Yuri said, connecting the dot. “Isn’t that the name of the Heavenly Daughter of Water?”

L painfully cringed, ‘Please don’t remind me? I left that name ages ago.’

“How could she be Lin Tianshang?” Yuri said in confusion. “Lin is in Starland. Are you telling me two Lin Tianshang exist at the same time?”

‘I will make this as short as possible,’ L said. ‘Yes, I am Lin Tianshang, the Heavenly Daughter of Water, but from the future.’ Lin shrugged. ‘I know you two don’t trust me, but Phantasia will be destroyed soon if you don’t listen to me.’

“So what will happen?” Rem said with minor amusement. He smiled like he was watching an adorable hamster running around in its wheelhouse.

‘The Reverse Beast's attack will worsen,’ L said. ‘The defender lost and the entire Phantasia got annihilated. I got captured alive in that timeline.’ She shivered. ‘It was horrible. The darkness behind the Reverse Beast assimilated me and sent me back in time to attack the Ancient. We destroyed that civilization but got sealed in the process.’ L implored both men. ‘I admit I am not a good person, but I had eons to think over my actions. I don’t want to turn into this. We have the chance to do things differently. You need to stop the current brattier version of me and Tai from fighting. Only by uniting the Heavenly Daughters can you avert the bad ending.’

“T’s identity is Tai Tianshang, right?” Yuri quickly put the piece together. “That’s why she reacted so badly when she heard Tai failed to take Frisnia.”

The tugging of emotional pain in Yuri’s head confirmed his theory.

That was how it happened, Yuri thought. Tai and Lin — the two archenemies of the current era — failed to unite against the increasing threat of the RB. The instability in Phantasia left it ripe for destruction. Both arch-rivals were defeated and assimilated by the Malice, transformed into a Reverse Beast and were time-traveled to attack the Ancient. They succeeded but got sealed inside the White Tower in retaliation.

Now with eons of time past, both time-travelers found themselves back in the present with the chance to correct their present selves decision.

It would be a nice redemption story if not for a flaw.

“Wait, does changing the future mean you won’t exist anymore?” Yuri said. “This means you two won’t be sent back in time to the past, causing the present to not happen.”

L was stuck at that one, but her ever-flapping silver tongue saved her, ‘Fine, I will admit that will create a paradox, but it is better than the alternative, right?’

Amid confusion and chaos, Remus Breaker did what he does best. He tipped his hand and crumbled his opponent’s plan with one well-placed strike.

“To answer your original question, Yuri,” Rem said, proving once again why a two-cent manipulator like Lin Tianshang should dread his very existence. “Time-travel is impossible.” He shrugged. “Sure, there is Primal Arcane to manipulate the law and continuation of time, but traveling to the past and future isn’t workable for both the Center-Force or Malice. The Governor is obsessive about locking the time-stream. The sacred nature of time is the fundamental lynch-pin of the universe.”

Rem’s simple revelation turned the listeners upside-down. Yuri felt he had nearly been scammed. Meanwhile, L felt an existential dread.

‘That isn’t possible!’ L screeched. ‘I’m not lying!’ She looked at her saviors — key ingredients for her plans. ‘You two have to believe me!’

“I do,” Rem said, unraveling the mystery. “Originally, I planned to have your youngest sister take the victory of finally triumphing over both of you.” He sighed in disappointment. “Alas, I need to pump Yuri’s power up, so the ever-so-sweet image will remain a dream.”

Remus Breaker got up and pulled a fold-able whiteboard out from the hidden corner of the room.

“Take a seat,” Rem said, gesturing to the sofa by the room corner. “This explanation would take some time.”

Rem began drawing on the board.

“Traveling in the time-stream means directly defying the Governor, and that guy can hold a grudge,” Rem said. “Unless your name is Symphony, you don’t have a chance of surviving the repercussions. Even without the Governor’s prevention, time is a delicate little thing that loves punishing people who play god. Even Symphony, who is literally invincible, warned against such an act because she thinks fixing the past is textbook's case of philosophical feebleness.” Rem wrote the word ‘feeble,’ on the board and underlined it. “However, it is possible to simulate a timeline. That is what you are L — a revenant from a simulation.”

‘Simulating timeline?’ L squeaked.

Rem drew a dotted line parallel to the line he named ‘time-stream’ and labeled it ‘simulation’.

“The future isn’t fixed,” Rem said. “I’m speaking as an expert on [Clairvoyance]. Futures are ever-changing. Each version can develop differently. A fourth-dimensional force like the Malice can perceive these possibilities and glean knowledge from them.” Rem then got to the crux of the truth. “Let’s say there is a simulation where Malice and the Reverse Beast won over the Center Force in a landslide — possibilities where it is the strongest. A version of reality where it could find two perfect counters necessary to defeat the Ancient.”

L was silent at the suggestion.

Deep inside, Yuri felt T stirred with one emotion: denial.

“Being a cosmic force, the Malice could simulate a timeline right down to the memory, emotion, and personality of a person,” Rem explained. “It replicated the future where its victory is unassailable and picked two strongest Reverse Beasts from this timeline and reconstructed them down to memory when it exterminated the Ancient eons ago.”

‘You are saying I am just an illusion,’ L said, trying to confirm she wasn’t mishearing.

“Your statement is half-correct,” Rem said, nodding. “You are a replication of the bitch named Lin Tianshang in the timeline where the Reverse Beast achieves flawless victory and converts Lin into one of them. You are very real, but you aren’t a time traveler. You were simply born eons ago from the data of Lin Tianshang to destroy the Ancient.”

It was Yuri who concluded Rem’s explanation.

“Their entire life and memory is like imitation of someone else,” Yuri said. “That fuck up.”

L was silent, trying to absorb the cataclysmic identity crisis she just experienced. ‘How are you so sure about this?’

“Once you commune enough with Mana, you recognize the nature of time-stream and reality,” Rem explained. “It helps that I study directly under the person who knows the rule book.”

“Okay,” Yuri suddenly stumbled upon a terrifying thought. “Can the Malice do that against us? If they can recreate weapons and troops from the timeline where they wipe our ass, how can we win?”

“Normally, that would be a major point of concern," Rem agreed. ”Yes, that tactic guarantees every weapon the Malice makes will be ahead of our curve. It was how the Ancient ultimately lost. They simply couldn’t beat the enemy’s R&D.“ Rem shrugged. ”But that wasn’t an issue anymore. After Symphony’s ascension, the Malice and the Governor willfully banned creating capital using timeline -simulation technique.“

“Why?” Yuri asked.

“Because we won’t even be needed at that point,” Rem said. “What the Malice could do the Center Force can as well. Originally, the Center Force didn’t see too much value on lives and society outside balancing the universe. Symphony is a different animal. Reality simulation is too broken with her Origin. Once she simulates possibilities, we win. There is no if or maybe about it. The insanity of the troop she can field will break the Governor and reality itself in half.”

Yuri felt numb, “By this point I am afraid of our leader’s mysterious Origin.”

Rem laughed dryly, “Her Origin is the most insane shit I have ever seen. There is literally no chance of our side losing if the Governor allowed her to fight at anywhere close to half her potential.” The hero glanced at L. “Any more questions about your existence, L?”

L’s response was short and conserved, ‘No. I am fine thank you.’

The ghostly woman disappeared without a word. She needed more time to recover from the mental seismic shock to her world.

“I still have one question,” Yuri asked. “Why are they still sticking with me? Surely, they know I have become too hard of a target to be manipulated.”

“It is your Origin, Yuri,” Rem said. “It might be only partially activated, but your Origin is the ultimate chain controlling those two.”

“[Divine Geas],” Yuri said. “I believe it is an ability to borrow power from a Divine Race.” Yuri frowned. “Why is it so vague, anyway?”

Rem said in sympathy, “The thing about Origin is that it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. You have to deduce how it works on your own.” He chose that moment to sit down and talk to his mentee. “From what I gather, [Divine Geas] is a symbiotic ability. It creates a contract — a bond — between you and those with a record of Divine Core. It assimilated the unique record of those gods into your arsenal in exchange for granting said gods some extra-power.”

“You are telling me I am gaining power from L and T?” Yuri said. “We spent two weeks together, and I received nothing.”

Rem sighed. He knew what he said next would be incredibly difficult to absorb.

“It is the mutual trading of power, Yuri,” Rem said. “Both of them no longer had a body to aid you. Even then, they are still perfect carbon-copy of two of the most self-centered bitches from the worst possible timeline. Do you think they can even comprehend lending someone the power they don't have?”

Yuri must agree Rem had a point.

…

It was that night that Yuri found Rem wasn’t infallible.

In the barren, silent room, where he slept ever since the faithful day when he was chased out by Alpine. Yuri found a desolated shadowy figure waiting on his bed, curling into a ball to escape the weight of today's revelation.

‘Are you here to laugh at me?’ T said. Her voice was uncharacteristically shaky.

“Are you here to be laughed at?” Yuri replied. “Do you think I’m that kind of person, Tai?”

The reversing question caught T by surprise.

“Hey, if you want to talk, I’m here to listen,” Yuri sat beside her.

‘You people are strange,’ T said. ‘I looked down on you. I’m nothing but rude to you. Yet, you still lend a shoulder for me to cry on. I still can’t believe someone can care so much about a hopeless case like Cytortia. What is it with your people and your precious Earth?’

“I don’t know whether everyone on Earth is like me,” Yuri confessed. “But it is considered a good form to support those who are miserable.”

T self-derisively laughed, ‘Really? Here, showing weakness is the invitation to be exploited.’

“Maybe that is why you lost and the original you are losing,” Yuri said. “No one wants to support such a heartless system.”

‘Maybe you are right,’ T said. ‘I don’t know who I am anymore.’ She looked at her shadowy hand. ‘My entire life is a lie. My goal wasn’t my own. Worst of all, I end up looking so hideous for nothing.’

“Wait,” Yuri said. “You mean this shadowy thing—”

‘Yeah, it is a shell to prevent you from seeing what I look like,’ T said. ‘Trust me, the moment you see what I am you will be bolting out of the door.’

“How bad could it be?” Yuri said. “Your template is Tai Tianshang. She might be a brutal dictator, but everyone agreed she is beautiful.”

T said with biting anger, ‘Your version of Tai Tianshang never got —,’ she stuttered, shaking over her trauma, ‘Yuri. You don’t want to know what happened to me. The Reverse Beast might be alien, but a female prisoner of war never had it easy in any culture.’

Yuri could guess what T experienced. Sure, according to Rem, the horrific violation never actually befell T, but he could guess the simulated memory still played a part of what she became.

“You know you cannot hide it forever,” Yuri said. “You shouldn’t leave that festering wound. It was better to rip the bandage out and let the wound heal properly.”

T considered that for a second and undid her disguise.

The shadowy form melted away, revealing Yuri as the true form of the goddess-turn-Reverse-Beast.

Part of her face still resembled the cool beauty of Tai Tianshang, but the goat's horn growing out from the side of her head marred that image. Her eyes were silvery gray with a reptilian pupil, while her cheek was sickly hollowed. T’s mouth sported tiny beastly fangs.

What truly alarming was the rest of her body. T’s body was an unholy combination of animal and flesh. Her feet were hooves. Steel-like scale covered her body from neck down. Thankfully, her hand still had five digits, but instead of nails she had crawls. T also had six more eyes above her chest. Spots of fur-like blue-flames decorating her waist, wrist and ankles. Most disturbing of all was eight spider-leg sprouted from her back.

Yuri smelled the stench of wild-beast before a thick dash of pheromone covered it.

‘I told you,’ T sounded even more depressed than she already was. Her real voice, without the shadowy filter, was raspy and coarse. ‘I look like a monster.’

“The Malice stuck on you,” Yuri stated the obvious. T’s real look shocked a little, but Yuri felt it wasn’t something too weird for movies.

‘Without a doubt,’ T agreed. ‘In this form, I’m stronger than ever, but it just feels wrong. I can’t fight with the usual elegance.' She lifted her clawed hand. ‘These claws might be sharper than any sword, but it lacks the finesse I need. I can’t fight like what I — what Tai — can. Unlike Lin, I’m not obsessed with beauty,’ T bitterly swallowed her misery. ‘But it is still hard accepting what I have become.’

“Look on the bright-side,” Yuri said. “You will still be the number one on someone fetish.”

‘I expect you to freak out more,’ T said, but felt a strange sense of relief in her heart. ‘Look, I have eight eyes.’

“Arachne is a hot fetish where I come from,” Yuri confessed. “Hell, some books we made feature a slime-heroines and gorgons. Bigotry might exist in my world, but it is heavily frowned upon in civilized society. My world doesn’t care what you look like over what you believe, T”

T laughed, ‘Your world is weird.’ The ice in her heart melted a little. ‘I am wrong about you and your planet, Yuri. You are a much stronger person than I gave you credit for.’ T looked away. ‘I would like to help you, but I can’t do a damn thing without my physical body.’

“You can,” Yuri said. “You might not really be Tai Tianshang, T, but you are her clone, right down to the personality. I don’t know whether she will join the melee, but you know more about her than anyone else. A philosopher from my world said, ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’ Please tell us more about Tai, T.’

T breathed deeply, feeling a weight of a lifetime being lifted from her shoulder.

‘Very well,’ T said. ‘You better sit down. Tai has a big secret, and it will blow your mind. You are perfectly right. You needed to know more about her—about me.’

…

Fifteen days remained until the Danghai’s Conference.