Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

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"...58"

 

I dropped down from the pull, as I felt I had done enough. My body may be fit and is the best of all, but I am just a human.

I have a limit, it's tall and these practices are nowhere near enough to push me to my limit. Maybe if I spend time in the Amazon, I reach my limit by surviving in the second deadliest place on Earth, then I can move on to Australia.

Letting out a sigh, I took the towel and wiped off the sweat and grime. I have my one hour of morning gym done now, I have jobs to do now.

I walked over to the counter, seeing the security guard and accountant. I placed my phone on the counter for the guard to put it in a reader, to get promotion points.

So, I became an official member of Babel Organization in late February, just over two months ago as this month is April. I got myself a Codename... which I obviously hate, I want to use my own name but that's not allowed.

I also learned that Athen is not Athen's real name, it's her Codename, and it wasn't that her parents named her after the capital of Greece. I don't know her real name, even with the Akashic Records, since the signing process is handled by a Gem Holder of an Eldritch God... 

Nyarlathotep, The Thousands Face Trickster. He was creepy. He has the ability to protect his identity from any type of scrying unless revealed by the person. And it's effective on a global level.

Anyway, my designation was meant to be Constantine, named after the second capital of the Roman Empire or the capital of the Byzantine Empire after the Fall of Rome... I proceeded to strangle Nyarlathotep, demanding he change my Codename.

Then he suggested Corday, after Charlotte Corday, the Angel of Assassination. I accepted that, since Corday sounds cool, and I still get to use my name.

I am happy, I don't get to kill an Eldritch God, Nyarlathotep gets to live another day.

"Here's your phone, Charlotte.", he gave me back my phone.

"Thanks", I waved and left.

Today I have to meet with my department, the Gem Holder Department. Which includes Vanessa and Seria... Seria is the Head of that Department also.

From the information I got, eight out of seventy-two Gem Holders of Babel are present, including me. But that doesn't count the six frozen Devils.

I stood outside of the gym... the place I need to go to is far away. I pressed the watch on my wrist.

"Come.", I said to look cool.

VROOM!!!

My sportbike came right in front of me, one from the future. It can certainly be made with current technology, but no one bothered to make it.

I hopped onto my silver sportbike, and I turned off the engine noise since this place wasn't the street. Putting on my helmet, I expand Survive's ability to sense the world, mapping this entire aircraft.

I found the location in under a second. I gripped the throttle and cranked it to max. I changed to top gear, riding at 90 km/h.

I twist and turn across the open space, making sure to avoid and steer clear of the guards and scientists. I landed in front of a courtyard, a place for training by the combat-oriented Gem Holders.

I got off my sportbike, looked around, and saw Athen was talking with a black man with a spider tattoo on his right shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, I used Delusion to appear right beside Athen, and I tapped her shoulder.

She freaked out and turned back with a reflexive punch, I saw the bloodlust clear in her eyes. I caught her hand, tore a few muscles, and I twisted her arms. She winced and retracted her hand.

"Athen... that's not nice.", I smiled as I repaired my arm with Hope.

"You scared me!", Athen exclaimed, looking at me with a disapproved look, "You shouldn't do anything like that!"

"Anyway.", I ignored her, tilting to the side to look at the spider-man, "Who are you?"

He blinked, seemingly returning to his senses, "Ahaha, sorry, I was just surprised. You have a similar aura to Miss Arco."

What?

"What?!", Athen voiced my question.

"Yeah, oh, sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Miles Moral, the Gem Holder of Anansi, God of Stories.", he did a courtly bow... but he only had his pants on.

"Charlotte Corday, holder of the Akashic Records.", I introduced myself.

"Charlotte Corday, huh? Well, you look the part! An innocent-looking girl who has a hostile hint in her eyes. Hahah, you would make a great protagonist in a spy setting.", he looked at me, his eyes had four pupils in each eye, like a spider.

"Why did you mention I have the same aura as Si—Silla?", I asked.

"Silla Arco~", he muttered in a melody, "Her Devil is a Hybrid of all three types, first is the mythological Lucifer the Morningstar, then the Lucifer Morningstar written and reimagined in literature, and finally the Concept of Freedom. She is the strongest person on Earth, even without her primary ability... but with her primary ability, which is Freedom."

Freedom... Reverie, what does Freedom do?

Freedom~ she's exempt from any universal law as long as she wants to~ damage? Screw that! Death? What is it? She can ignore everything~!

"Freedom, ah~ the ability that makes a story so much better.", Miles chuckled, "You see, the flow of fate and destiny does not apply to her... but you on the other hand the opposite, you have too many strings of fate and destiny attached to you, so many that it grants you the same freedom as Miss Arco."

"I see.", I nodded. I am bound by destiny and fate... so much so that they don't control me. This is pretty awesome.

"Yo."

!!!

I felt a chill down my spine, and I swung my arm to attack the mass of bloodlust behind me. But I hit nothing but air... and standing in front of me is a thin and lean Asian man with a crow nest for hair. And his eyes, they are purple. He wore a purple scarf that flowed around in a very specific way, even without wind.

"You...", I glared at him, at his annoying smile.

"Calm down there, young lady.", he laughed and raised his hands surrendering, "I'm an ally, just don't punch me... or touch me."

"Mhmm.... don't do that ever again.", I said as I repositioned myself, I was annoyed... wisps of black flame flashed, no, you stay quiet.

You cannot keep your anger in check forever, my Lady.

Shut up, Malice. Reverie beat it up.

Aye, sir~!

W-Wa, NO!!

"Anyway, nice to meet you, Akashic Records.", he winked at me, wanting me to punch him even more, "You want to punch me, don't you?"

Then he pointed at me, "Your next line is 'How can you read my mind?'."

"How can you read my mind—", he can read my mind. No, it's more like he predicted what I was going to say.

Athen stepped in between the two, "Alright, alright, no fighting here, both of you. Sun, don't mess with Charlotte, and Charlotte, don't have him on your mind."

So his name is Sun...

"Kiki~ Well, my name is Sun Wu, and my Devil is the Six-Eared Macaque.", he introduced himself.

I tilted my head, "Who?"

That made three of the present people facepalm.

Miles answered me, "One of the Four Celestial Primates, along with Sun Wukong the Monkey King. The Six-Eared Macaque has the ability of Omniscient, as well as the power to match the Monkey King."

Monkey King... Monkey King... that sounds familiar... ah, Journey to the West. Never read it before... order noted.

"I see.", I nodded, "So... where is the rest? I thought Silla wanted me to meet the rest of the available Gem Holder?"

Athen chimed in, "Well, the last person is a bit problematic... you see, her Devil is... Ur-Nungal, Daughter of Gilgamesh."

Gilgamesh... the oldest recorded Hero... the First Hero. And Ur-Nungal, the king inherits the throne after Gilgamesh. Huh... interesting.

"So where is she?", I asked while showing my smile, I couldn't contain it. Ur-Nungal...

"As one of the more heavy hitters of Babel and more unstable, she's currently in therapy with Van Gogh.", Sun answered me.

Vanessa huh, I do want to visit her.

"Your next line is 'I will go to Vanessa's place then'."

"I will go to Vanessa's—", I sent Sun a glare, he is annoying. From his heart rate, he knows and loves that he's annoying. I can't hit him either...

Then... there is a way.

I cracked a wicked smile, feeling Euphoria flowing through me as my eyes turned purple.

"You know, for someone supposed to be Equal to the Monkey King, all you are good at is annoying people, you one-off villain."

Sun coughed up blood right that instant, just as I wanted. This is the ability of Euphoria and mockery, anyone who finds my word insulting will get a psychic backlash.

"My mockeries are vicious.", I winked at Sun, who now laughing breathlessly, "See you around, Monkey."

"Y...You got me good, kid.... haha...", Sun continues to laugh while rolling on the ground.

"This is why you shouldn't mess with Charlotte.", Athen was smug all of a sudden.

"She's terrifying enough with how much freedom she has with fate.", Miles mused to himself, then he turned to me, "I can't see your destiny, though I can see some of the paths you would choose."

Miles plucked something from the air, and a blue string appeared from his touch. There is a saying, 'Red string of Fate', then the blue string is Destiny. He did the same with two more blue strings.

"These are some of your destiny... one where you become the ruler of the world, one where you become a hero... and one where you destroy the entire world...", he smiled dangerously.

I tried to reach out to touch the strings, to watch my future. But Miles plucked them again and they disappeared.

"It's not fun for a protagonist to see their own story, Corday.", he winked.

"I'll get going then.", I glanced at Athen, "Athen, follow me."

"Okay, see you guys later!", she waved with a smile.

Now that I think about it, Athen doesn't smile when she's with me. But with others, I can feel happiness radiating off of her. What's so different about me? Just because I stressed her out to the max doesn't mean I am the source of all her agony... there is still Seria.

I get to my sportbike, looking over to Athen whose expression changed to a tired one now. Not saying anything, I opened up the trunk with a press of a button on my watch.

I took out a full-face helmet and gave it to Athen, "Here."

"Thanks.", she took it and sighed, "You know, I think this personality of yours is not so bad, at least you think of others before you act."

I tilted my head, "What's wrong with the old me?"

"I don't know... probably because you were a psycho in every literal sense. From the way you were willing to stab me without a warning, to literally jumping off buildings because you want to have fun... well, you are chaotic."

Chaotic, huh? I'm becoming more like Seria...

I hopped onto my sportbike, "Get on."

"Hah...", Athen sighed and hopped on my back, "It's weird with you being the one to drive."

"Kids in America drive cars at a younger age than me.", I rolled my eyes and shifted gears. I cranked the throttle to max.

I turned, trying to hit Sun. But he saw it coming from a mile away, he dodged before I could turn to him.

"Tch.", I clicked my tongue. Omniscient is a stupid power.

"Try anytime you want!", Sun mocked me.

"I will, you stupid Monkey Equals to Dirt.", I used Mockery on the stupid monkey.

And he coughed up blood again, "Seriously, Macaque, don't let her provoke you!"

"See you guys around.", I waved at the two.

"Haha! See you around, Charlotte!", Sun laughed despite his internal bleeding.

"See you, our little enigma.", Miles waved back.

I turned the throttle to max, then shifted gear to Top Gear...

VROOMM!!!!

This is fun.

"Charlotte! Slow down!!", Athen grabbed onto me for dear life, even if she can revive herself.

"No way, speed is fun.", I retorted.

"FUUUCKK!!!", she screamed.

This is fun, others' suffering is fun. Maybe this is why Seria likes to scare me so much.