Chapter 1039: Life

Red flaming hair, 6 muscular arms, a face worthy to be called a god of wrath. But perhaps none of those were truly marvelous compared to what makes the 6-armed asura daunting — those who were watching the projection did not notice it at first since they were looking at what Karina was seeing from her point of view, but...

...the 6-armed muscular man she was fighting was a giant—no, it was colossal. The only reason why they could see all of him was that they were fighting in some sort of dark space, or perhaps they truly were fighting in the expanse of space, where the sun only shone on the two of them.

But perhaps the most important fact is, the titan seemed to be... scared.

It was covering his head with his 6 arms; his 6 arms that everyone could see were slowly withering away—no. It may just seem slow relative to what they were seeing, but if the titan was as big as they think he is, then he was completely being obliterated at a speed that would probably destroy continents in the blink of an eye.

And upon seeing this, a small hint of a smile slowly crawled on Riley's face; his head, slightly nodding.

"With how human she acts..." Angela spoke even as Riley was delving into her mind, "...I sometimes forget that she's still your daughter, and that she's a monster all on her own."

"She is not a monster, Miss Angela," Riley shook his head, "Not at all."

"...Of course."

Everyone then watched as the arms of the 6-armed titan completely withered away, leaving only his face left to be devoured by Karina's life-shattering abilities, literally. First they saw the titan's nose melt, and then they got a view of his skull... and then there was nothing left.

"She... defeated that monster?" Elizabeth could not help but take in a small gulp as she looked back and forth between Riley and the images he was projecting, "The things inside the tower, they are... they are real, at least they were to me. They're not just a dream or something like that, it felt like I was really there and it was happening...

...that means she defeated that thing all on her own. How... how could we even compare?"

"The trials seem different for everyone, Cardinal Elizabeth," Riley offered Elizabeth some words, "You do not need to compare yourself to anyone."

"Of... of course, god," Elizabeth closed her eyes and bowed her head.

The images being projected by Riley then began to shift as Karina seemed to have cleared the trial. The expanse of space, now replaced by a more mundane view of a... room. Nothing really spectacular or grand, it was just a normal room — and seeing as Karina was looking around the room confused, but at the same time familiar with it as she was gently brushing her palm along the walls and the bed.

"Hm?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he stared at this room. His eyes, slightly locked as soon as he saw photos of Karina with Diana, Katherine, other people... Hannah and Aerith. Riley had no problem at all adjusting to everyone changing almost instantly for him since he doesn't really care either way.

But only now does he truly think of what could have actually happened to all those 600 years that have passed for the rest of them.

Could his sister have been married at some point? Could have Aerith? Where was Nannah's father?

A lot could have happened — he truly barely even knew Karina before, and now she was a complete stranger. Most of the people here do not even know of him, of Darkday.

The entire multiverse has moved on. But of course, it did not really matter for him — he too, has lived his life.

"Who's... that? Is that supposed to be her trial?"

Riley then quickly turned his focus back to the projection as soon as he heard people whispering. And there, he saw a woman enter the room. Riley then saw as Karina take several steps back, seemingly losing her strength and dropping to the floor.

The woman who entered the room then quickly rushed toward Karina; not to attack her, but to help her up.

"Hm...?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he stared at the woman's face, or more specifically, toward the reflection of Karina's face in her eyes — and there, he saw tears trailing down Karina's cheeks. Karina then grabbed the woman's face, touching it as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.

"Nope." And before everyone could see what would happen next, Angela leaned away from Riley and started shaking her head, causing the projection to fade away and disappear completely, "I recognize that lady, we don't want to see what happens next."

"You recognize the woman, Miss Angela?" Riley could tap into Angela's mind if he wished, but he did not do so and just asked her, "Who is she?"

"That's a conversation you and your daughter should be having," Angela shook her head again, "You've been gone all this time, Darkday — you were so busy living whatever life you were having...

...that you've forgotten the life you should have been living."

"And what does that mean, Miss Angela?"

"...I actually don't know," Angela just let out a small sigh before turning to look at Karina, "And our princess is done."

"Hm?" Riley also looked at his daughter, and as soon as he did so, 8 rings appeared around the tower.

"She... she was fighting a fucking titan and she only cleared 8 floors!?" Those who have already attempted the trials could not believe what they were seeing. They have no idea what was going to happen if they completed all of the trials, but they still could not imagine what it would be like if they somehow had to face an enemy that was the size of an entire continent,

"It... it's a good thing the trials are different for us, or else we won't even have a chance to climb the tower."

"Climb it? Is that what we were doing?"

"It... makes sense, no? I've read a couple of comics like that before, I think."

"Karina." And while everyone was deliberating what they had just witnessed, Riley quickly appeared behind his daughter and caught her before she could fall to the ground; gently carrying her back to where Angela and Elizabeth were.

"I... I can walk, Dad," Karina was still obviously completely confused as to what just happened to her; her eyes, only slightly lucid as she looked at her father.

"It is fine," Riley shook his head, "I have never carried you as an infant, just consider this as me trying to rescind that, Karina."

"You—"

"The woman with the mole below her left eye. Who was she?"

And before Karina could even free herself from Riley's arms, she could not help but almost choke in her own breath as soon as she heard his words.

"You... you could see what I was... I was experiencing!?" Karina raised her voice.

"Glimpses," Riley nodded, "Angela could see, and I could see through her."

"D—" Karina then quickly leaped from Riley's arms and quickly rushed toward Angela; grabbing her by the shoulders, "Don't tell me you saw!?"

"Don't worry," Angela sighed while shaking her head, "I didn't let your father and everyone see what happened after Debbie tried helping you up. I... know you and her have something, I wasn't about to show the world something only intimate between the two of you."

"That—wait, what do you mean everyone!?"

"Darkday cast a projection on the tower," Angela looked at the tower, only to see several more projections playing, "Just like—wait. How are you doing that, Darkday!?"

"It is not me, Miss Angela," Riley looked at the projections on the screen, "It would seem the Tower liked what I did and decided to do it itself...

...interesting."

"No, not interesting!" Karina stood in front of her father, "You... you almost saw something you shouldn't have! I am never putting my arm through that hole again!"

"Why? Did this Debbie person die already, Karina?" Riley tilted his head to the side.

"What? Why—No, ew! Dad!? What the fuck!?" Karina's eyes widened as she realized what Riley was implying, "And... And Debbie and I weren't like that!"

"You were not romantically involved with each other, Karina?" Riley placed his hand on his chin, "It is completely fine if you do, I have had many acquaintances who had similar preferences to you; Bella and... I do not remember the rest, maybe Gary."

"I seriously do not want to be having this discussion with you right now, Dad," Karina said with a straight face, "And why do you care!? You've been gone for so long that I think you should have never really come back! You know...

...I wish you didn't come back!"

And with those words, Karina flew away... only to be brought down by the mysterious power preventing them from flying across the skies.

"..." And there, everyone watched as Karina glanced at Riley for a few seconds before just running away awkwardly.

"She didn't mean that, Darkday," Angela stood beside Riley.

"She did," Riley closed his eyes while shaking his head.

"Yeah, she did," Angela shrugged, "I don't even know why I'm feeling bad for you, Darkday — you're like a super evil villain. And I should be glad. Anyway, I should be following her too, this isn't a place for her to just roam around."

"Hm," Riley nodded before finally placing his attention back to the Tower, "Well then...

...I suppose it is my turn?"