Uploaded wrong chapter... Aizen chapter was supposed to go after this arc is done... retelling it in a flashback.
then got sick and then had two consecutive tests.
All in all it wasn't a break to write peak fiction like i did before...
---
Leo stood silently in the vast emptiness of the reality void, a step away from where Hope was hugging Tiamat tightly, crying since she hadn't in centuries.
The moment felt too private to interrupt.
So he stayed back.
Lucifer stood next to him, floating slightly above the ground.
His expression was unreadable, calm as ever.
On the other side, Aizen was also nearby, watching in silence.
His clothes had changed — he now wore clothing that resembled the Soul King's.
None of them spoke It wasn't necessary.
They were Aura Farmers — beings who would step away froma.
Single moment of aura farming.
Even leo who was so serious and collected now engaged in this activity standing nonchalantly like he hadn't threatened suicide just a few moments ago.
Leo finally broke the silence. "Can this timeline be restored?"
Lucifer looked over at him.
His eyes were lazy.
He gave a small smile.
"If it was my section of reality, maybe," he said, voice casual. "But this timeline… it was abandoned by the Administrator."
Leo frowned. "Wait before you coninue the 'Presence' is like an Administrator?"
"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "Father dearest is, in function, the equivalent of one. A core system controller. The original governing consciousness."
Leo's brows pulled together. "So that means this timeline is unsalvageable?"
Lucifer let out a small sigh, as if it were obvious. "On my end? Completely unsalvageable....There's no original data left to build on. It's decayed beyond control. The Administrator probably did this to limit the Charter's access to this domain."
Leo looked down at the swirling void beneath them.
It made sense.
Too much had broken. Too many pieces had vanished.
Even for his abilities...starting now would be the same dilemma as the ship of Theseus.
It wouldn't really be revived but more like him rebuilding...
"I see," Leo said quietly.
Lucifer glanced toward the others. "This world was left behind...But," he added, "I suppose that doesn't mean the story has to end here."
Leo didn't respond.
Leo stayed quiet for a long moment, just watching the empty void ahead of him.
Then, with a small gesture, he raised a hand—fingers flexing slightly—and a faint conceptual membrane surrounded him and Lucifer.
He exhaled slowly. "Any idea who that being was?" he asked.
"System's not saying much. Just that it had a criminal record."
Lucifer leaned back, arms crossed. "Probably a Herald," he said after a pause.
"From the way it moved, how it spoke. I didn't catch everything before you killed the projection, though."
Leo's expression didn't change. His voice, though steady, was flat—lacking any emotion.
"This whole ordeal feels pointless."
Lucifer frowned slightly. "What do you mean, 'ordeal'?"
Leo's eyes stayed fixed forward, scanning the distant stars that barely shone anymore. "I mean all of this. Everything since I got here. The way events are structured, ... it feels scripted. As if someone's writing it, badly."
Lucifer tilted his head, now more curious than confused. "Badly?"
Leo nodded once. "Yeah. There's no real impact. No weight to most of it. The events just... happen. Hope's suffering, her transformation, even this so-called reunion... None of it affects me in any way at all."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "That's... a pretty Unique way to look at things, you know."
"I know," Leo replied, not even flinching. "But I'm being honest. I don't have a deep emotional bond with Hope.... Never did. We weren't close enough for this to shake me."
Lucifer looked down, thinking. "So you think this whole thing was a test?"
Leo's tone remained calm, analytical. "Yes. Feels like something designed to push me....To see if I'd falter, or break, or hesitate in the name of duty. "
"There's no personal stake—only observation."
Lucifer crossed his arms tighter, muttering, "You can't seriously be thinking the Charter would go that far."
Leo glanced at him, then looked away again. "It's not the Charter. . I've been watching the system closely. Its responses, its phrasing... it's been subtly manipulating me. Testing limits without ever admitting it."
Lucifer was quiet for a second, then scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. "But it's not the system, huh? You're saying it might be someone even above the Charter?...Some kind of... what, weaver of stories?"
Leo nodded slightly. "That's how it feels."
Lucifer's brows furrowed. "Great. Just great. You made me think about this and now I'm pissed. You're telling me—apart from my father—there's now another nagging presence steering my life ....?"
"I'm not saying anything conclusive," Leo replied evenly. "I'm just stating what it feels like to me."
Lucifer stared at him, waiting for more.
Leo sighed and continued.
"I live by a simple philosophy," he said.
"I know the world's full of things pulling strings behind the scenes—forces, entities, maybe even fate itself. But if I can't understand their reasoning… if I can't put it into words or logic… then it's probably pointless to stress over whether they'll help me or screw me over."
Lucifer blinked. "So you just… let it go?"
Leo let out a tired breath, staring into the void as silence stretched between him and Lucifer.
"Well… what else can I do,?"
"I confided in you because you understand being aware of the manipulationthe most." he said finally, his voice resigned.
Lucifer didn't answer right away.
He just stood there, hands in pockets, as if weighing the weight of those words.
Then Leo tilted his head slightly, his tone turning dry. "Also, side note… I think this is about the time the big bad shows up....You know, the one the new characters will team up to fight."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Leo gave a half-hearted shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time."
And like the universe was on cue, a crack appeared in front of them—thin at first, then stretching wide across the fabric of space.
Through it, Leo saw flickers—multiple timelines, moments, paths, all layered and tangled.
Echoes of realities long forgotten and some yet to be.
"Uh oh…" Leo muttered, already regretting opening his mouth.
He stared into the swirling chaos for a second, then sighed again.
"You really are a shitty writer, dude," he said to no one in particular. "This trope's getting old."
(A/N : Sybau or I'll off-screen your harem Leo !)
Reiko narrowed her eyes the moment the crack appeared.
She felt threatened.
So the moment slightest of moion emerged without hesitation, she raised her mirror and swung it in a clean arc.
The surface shimmered, light bending — and in the next moment, the crack was gone, swapped away like it had never been there.
Silence followed.
Lucifer blinked, then glanced at Leo.
"Well," he said, "that was anticlimactic."
Leo just nodded slowly, hands in his pockets. "Yeah… can't say I'm not disappointed."
Reiko didn't say anything.
She was still watching the space where the crack had been, her grip tight on the mirror, just in case.
=======================
Aizen : Guys ...will i ever aura farm in this fic ..?
Power Stones and Reviews please