Chapter 1042: Alice's True Power

"This is real."

"...Duh? I've been telling you that. Well, not really. But you get my point."

There was a certain squint in Riley's eyes as he stared at Alice, who was now just casually returning to where she was previously sitting and once again just eating her ramen.

"You want some?" Alice slurped before looking at Riley, "You can just get a pack on the cabinet there, I think I still have some left."

"I do not eat instant noodles, Alice."

Riley just slightly raised his palm to refuse Alice's offer before just also sitting in front of her with his legs crossed,

"Can I tell you a story, Alice?"

"Sure, better entertainment than just eating. I heard the kids out there have liked tablets or something while they're eating? Why wasn't I born in your generation?"

"I am afraid I can't answer that — would you like me to still tell my story?"

"Oh, please. I want to hear what my son from the future has to say."

"Hm..."

Riley then spent hours telling Alice his entire life story, from how she killed him, all the way to the events that led him in front of her right here and now. And suffice it to say, Alice's ramen turned soggy before she could finish all of it.

"A world... where Diana and I are romantic partners? Does... that mean we have s—!?" Alice let out a massive gasp before just dropping her chopsticks on the floor, "And... you're saying you're not really from the future, and your friend just created this reality?"

"...Yes," Riley nodded.

"Jesus..." Alice forced out a small chuckle as she shook her head, "...Just what are they feeding you there? And I thought we had strong Supers, you guys are absolute units. I mean... you can move entire galaxies? Not even just entire star systems, but galaxies? Like, wow."

"I believe you can do the same, Alice," Riley nodded, "My ability came from you — and your variant was able to create an entire galaxy in the palm of her hands."

"Yeah, but she's like old. Right?"

"I believe in her 40s," Riley nodded.

"Holy crap, she old. Anyway..." Alice then let out a small sigh. And as she did so, the ramen bowl and all the other things around her and Riley were gently pushed away, "...You said you have to defeat me to pass the trial, right? Let's get on with it, then."

"Oh, you believe me?" Riley tilted his head to the side.

"Sure," Alice shrugged, "You were right anyway, there are no people beside us for thousands of miles. Even the people in the ISS are gone — and yet in my memory, they all should be here. Heck, someone handed me supplies just a few minutes before you suddenly popped out in front of me."

"Hm," Riley also nodded as he scanned the planet, "It would seem so, Alice."

"And also... you and I share the same blood," Alice then raised her hand. And there, two orbs of blood twirled around her index finger, "Almost exactly the same, you truly were created with just me... I guess you inherited your freakishness from me."

"Perhaps only half of it — my mind only becomes disarray when I use Paige's abilities," Riley shrugged, "And I did not know you could do something like that, Alice."

"Well..." Alice then slightly grunted as she stood up clumsily, "...I guess let's get on with it and kill each other then until you find out more about me."

"Are you sure, Alice?" Riley tilted his head to the side, "You are one of the people in the entire multiverse that I will never kill."

"Please," Alice rolled her eyes, "It's better this way, I just know it from talking to you — any longer, and I'll get attached. So..."

Alice's eyes suddenly turned white as her hair started to float as if she was submerged in water,

"...Let's just do this."

And with those words, the prison hall surrounding them completely evaporated into nothing — no. The entire horizon was completely gone as Alice seemed to have flattened the area completely.

"Just to be clear, you won't really die if I kill you, right?" Alice smiled.

"No," Riley shook his head, "I will just return to the Black To—"

And before Riley could even finish his words, he found himself suddenly raising both his arms and covering himself from the sudden weight that fell upon him. He was already using his invisible shield to block Alice's surprise attack, and yet he could still feel it seeping in.

"Do you know why both of my variants lost to you, Riley?"

"I do," Riley very slowly stood straight up as he strengthened his telekinetic abilities, "It is as you said, they got attached, Alice."

"Exactly," Alice smirked, "I won't have the same problem."

Alice then suddenly tilted her head to the side, and as she did so, a small crack whispered into Riley's ear. He then casually placed his left arm in front of him, only to see it broken into multiple folds.

"Interesting," Riley whispered before glancing at Alice and also releasing a telekinetic wave at her. Alice, however, just blew air out of her mouth and caused it to fade away, "It might seem like you are using your telekinetic abilities in its simplest form, but you are not — I could feel multiple layers from each of your attack that amplifies the initial—"

"Ack, stop yapping," Alice gracefully waved her hand, and as she did so, the ground that Riley was standing on was violently grated until they turned into nothing. Riley, however, did what Alice was doing and just completely remained on his spot. This seemed to clearly amuse Alice as this time, Riley did not even flinch or move as he took her blast head-on, "As expected of someone who came from my freaking vajayjay. You said you could move entire galaxies, right?"

"That is correct."

"Let me try," Alice then smiled — and contrary to her words, she did not try at all and instead rushed toward Riley; once again completely shredding the ground as she flew toward him.

"That is not a wise choice, Alice," Riley shook his head, "You will not win against me in a close match — there is a chance that your telekinetic power is stronger than mine, but that is it. That is your only ability and—"

"You don't feel it, do you...?" Alice, despite Riley's warnings, did not heed Riley's words at all as she stopped just a meter away from him, "The difference between the raw strength of our floaty fingers?"

"Hm...?"

"You are much older than I am now — but it would seem you still have not fully tapped into the limits of our power," Alice let out a small but very deep sigh as she looked at Riley's eyes, "I wonder why the other Alices didn't tell you?"

"I have tapped into the limits of my power multiple times, Alice," Riley shook his head, "Most of the time, enough for me to kill myself."

"You see, that's where you're not getting it," Alice closed her eyes, "It's your limit that you're reaching, your mind and body's capabilities — you have not even begun to dig deep into the power of your telekinesis. And I have to say...

...I am rather disappointed."

"What are you—" And before Riley could even answer, the entire field was suddenly showered—no, drowned in light. His eyes quickly readjusted to the sudden brightness, only to see the sun on the horizon—no, only to see several suns completely surrounding the Earth they were on.

"But I guess. I sort of understand why they didn't even mention it to you..." Alice then closed her eyes and once again sighed, "...What sort of life would you have led. Everything around you, the entire universe itself is like the puffball of a dandelion, with just a single mistake, with just the wrong breath... you can just blow it all away."

"Is your telekinetic ability truly that strong, Alice?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he looked at the palm of his hand.

"You won't know," Alice let out a small chuckle, "Judging from your story, once you absorb the power by dying, you immediately master it. That is completely broken and unfair — but with my ability, it truly was a blessing that you learned how to control it as soon as you received it... or else you might have done something like this."

Alice then snapped her fingers, and as she did so, the sun which she pulled from probably lightyears away just disappeared into nothing.

"Outerspace is intriguing, no?" Alice chuckled, "Things can fly through this darkness at ridiculous speeds with minimal consequences. And no matter how much you destroy, there will always be something next — that was how I was able to reign my power. I turned it somewhere else."

Alice looked at the stars which were now clearly visible to them, and Riley did the same.

"When I was young, I destroyed lots of things," Alice breathed out, "From my toys, trees, our house, and it just got bigger and bigger. And obviously, I was a child — I didn't want to destroy the planet I'm living on because that would mean I wouldn't have fun anymore...

...that's why I focused on something much bigger and farther, way, way farther. I started destroying celestial bodies when I was 9 years old. So, to answer your question if I am really that strong, Riley...

...I don't even know myself."