The parchment sky still smoldered from the death of Xeno_7ama His pages had been scattered to the winds of nonexistence erased utterly by Ryo's casual hand The Crown Cosmology trembled uncertain as if the death of its architect had torn open a silence that no law could fill.
The silence ended when the sky itself bent toward Ryo Entire realms twisted to recognize their new master The very act of being demanded that he step forward.
Ryo sighed breaking the crust of a loaf.
Ryo: Bread tastes better when no one's scribbling reality behind your back Guess it's on me now to keep this place running.
Serath still kneeling trembled with awe.
Serath: You… you killed the Writer. No one has ever dared to strike him let alone succeed You now hold dominion not just over the Crown Cosmology but over every hierarchy it contains.
The wolf pup barked and wagged its tail as if celebrating.
Ryo: Dominion huh? Sounds like a lot of paperwork Let's keep it simple I walk the worlds follow.
The parchment fragments of Xeno_7ama's body drifted in the air glowing faintly Then they began to burn not with fire but with concept Entire verses written upon them screamed in agony before disintegrating A million possible futures collapsed into silence.
But one fragment hovered resisting erasure Ryo plucked it from the air The letters upon it shifted wildly: Layer One bows But what of Layer Zero?
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
Ryo: Layer Zero? That's new.
Serath gasped his voice sharp with fear.
Serath: Ryo… the legends said nothing of Layer Zero If it exists it would stand above the First Layer you've conquered A place beyond written cosmology.
Ryo tore the fragment in half
Ryo: Then we'll pay it a visit.
The sky cracked open Behind it stretched something that wasn't a world or a layer or even a reality It was a white canvas with no edges no sound no shape just pure possibility From its depth emerged a voice that was not a voice a presence that was not a presence.
Layer Zero: You dare step here anomaly? Even the Writer could not write me I am not story I am not fiction I am the blank before ink
Serath fell to his knees clutching his head in pain.
Serath: This is… unbearable Even sensing it is too much It is beyond cosmology Beyond fiction itself.
Ryo tore another bite of bread and stepped forward.
Ryo: Blank canvas huh? Means more room for me to doodle.
Layer Zero quivered. Shapes tried to form and failed Universes appeared for a heartbeat then collapsed before they could stabilize.
Layer Zero: You cannot exist here You should vanish as all fiction vanishes when faced with the true blank.
Ryo grinned.
Ryo: You sound like everyone else who tried to stab me They're gone. Guess you will be too if you push it.
Layer Zero shuddered, a ripple traveling across its endless white. Suddenly, infinite versions of Ryo appeared, each one a possibility written by the blank itself. Some were weak. Some were gods. Some had never existed at all.
Layer Zero: You are possibility I will scatter you I will reduce you to one option one fragile version then crush it.
Ryo's eyes narrowed His presence pulsed once and every copy vanished Not killed Not destroyed Simply erased.
Ryo: Nah There's only one me.
The white canvas shook violently Cracks spread across it lines of pure void.
Serath: He's… he's erasing Layer Zero! But… how can someone erase what was never written?
The wolf pup barked twice as if mocking the collapsing blank.
Layer Zero screamed not with words but with silence so total it broke thought itself And then like a chalk mark wiped from a slate it was gone.
All that remained was Ryo standing on nothing holding everything.
Ryo: Huh Quieter now. Guess I'm in charge of the canvas too
Serath lifted his head weakly his voice trembling.
Serath: Do you realize what you've done? By erasing Layer Zero you've taken control of the pre-existence You are no longer bound to cosmology You are its author its owner its destroyer all of fictions Creator they are nothing but dust beneath you now
Ryo stretched and looked around.
Ryo: That's nice Still no bakeries though.
Above them the blank canvas shifted New crowns appeared countless and infinite each birthing multiverses stronger than the last And yet each one bent instantly toward Ryo their king and ruler their eraser and scribe.
Serath whispered voice shaking
Serath: You have no weaknesses Ryo None Even if existence itself turned on you it would vanish Even if nothingness tried to consume you you would consume it instead You are beyond every tier every power system.
Ryo smirked and threw the last bite of bread to the wolf pup.
Ryo: Took you this long to notice?
The wolf pup caught the bread in its mouth and barked happily The blank canvas now pulsed with new life life authored not by Xeno_7ama not by Layer Zero but by Ryo himself.
For the first time the Crown Cosmology had a master who was not bound by ink or by fiction or by weakness.
And Ryo walked forward the endless canvas parting before him waiting to be filled.