"So Nacht, how exactly are you gonna make us into the ultimate warriors that you speak of?"
Kyoya, Asta, and Nacht were heading back to the Black Bulls hideout. When Kyoya asked Nacht this question, the vice captain smiled as he looked forward.
"I already have an idea in mind for Asta, but as for you, i'm sure you already know a place where you could go to seek answers and to learn about your powers."
"Though i'd prefer if you weren't involved in the mission considering the Dark Triad is also after you, but we need your magic."
As Nacht said this, Kyoya began to think to himself. A place where he went to whenever he needed answers and found out more about his magic. There was only one place he could think of. Only one person he could turn to.
"I see.....then Nacht, take care of Asta!"
After saying that, Kyoya quickly ran off. Just as Asta was about to chase after Kyoya, Nacht stopped the boy from doing so as he shook his head.
"Let him go Asta, this is his choice. Besides, I feel he may achieve more results from the person he seeks instead of me. Looks like I may have underestimated him."
~With Kyoya~
"That's right, she's always had her eye on me as well. That's why she made dad hold my inheritance until I defeated him. It was also thanks to her I learned of the Children of Sin. Not to mention, most of the knowledge I gathered came from her."
As Kyoya ran, he finally found the place he was looking for. The moment he stood in front of the entrance, he had a serious look upon his face as he stared at the place he was looking for.
"The Sanctuary......."
Kyoya began to walk inside of the sanctuary. As he did, he slowly felt as if he was going to pass out at any second. However, this time he wasn't afraid or desperate. No, his mind was completely clear on why he needed to be here. As he was struggling to stay awake, he heard a woman's voice in his head.
"So it would seem you've come on your own accord. So then.........why are you here?"
"You already know the answer to that, don't you Echidna. So screw the formalities."
"Hehe. You know me so well. In that case, let's see if you're still worth the effort of having a tea party again. Your final trial....begins now."
Soon Kyoya's body fell onto the floor inside of the temple. It didn't move around, as if he was in a state of sleep. As Kyoya was undergoing his trial, Echidna smiled as she drunk her tea.
"You've always surprised me Kyoya Fullbuster. The trials, the knowledge I give unto you, even your Devil Slayer Magic. I suppose giving all those things was my own way of showing my love. I want to know if the magic breaks you or if you conqueror it. I am the Witch of Greed after all. I wish to know everything, that includes the enigma known as Kyoya Fullbuster."
~With Kyoya~
A pitch black void, filled with nothing but silence. As Kyoya stood up, he looked around and saw nothing but darkness. Soon he saw something in the distance, a small glimmer of light. Not only that, he saw them. His squad mates, his captain, Ultear, Juvia, Yuno, Klaus, Mimosa, Benimaru, even that bastard Mukuro. All of them smiling so brightly.
Soon Kyoya took a step forward, but instantly fell onto the ground. When he looked at his legs, he saw his right leg was torn off. He screamed in pain as he saw blood escaping from where his leg use to be. Soon he saw the culprit responsible.
"No....not again!!!!! Anything but them!!!!!!!"
Soon a whole horde of these creatures gathered around Kyoya. Soon Kyoya lost his left hand as one rabbit was devouring it. Next thing he knew his entire body was being eaten while he was still conscious. The pain was so unbearable that it forced him to stay awake as he was being eaten alive.
Soon the rabbits tore open his chest as they ate his heart and lungs. They crawled inside of his opened chest as they began to eat his organs from the inside. Kyoya wondered if this really was something Natsu had to endure? It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!!!!!!
"Make it stop!!!!!!!"
Soon Kyoya saw himself back in his original spot in the black void. When he looked ahead of him, he saw something new inside of the black void. The new object was his own corpse from moments ago.
"What the hell? The others are on the other side, yet here I am staring at my own corpse. Talk about terrifying...but...."
Soon Kyoya ran forward as he tried to make it to the only light at the end of this black void. As soon as he ran passed his own corpse, his head was suddenly cut off from the rest of his body. Now Kyoya stood back in his original spot as he now saw two of his own corpses. When he did, he heard the voice of a man.
"A future where everyone is smiling. Where everyone is capable of being saved. What will you do to see it become reality? What will you sacrifice for this to come true? You lack the resolve and greed to do what it takes to achieve anything. Even that anti-magic boy has more resolve than you. To think you can save anyone without sacrifice.....it's nothing but arrogant."
As Kyoya stood in silence, he saw everyone he cared about standing near the light at the end of the dark void. Soon he slowly began to understand this situation a bit.
"Everyone there..all of them can smile and laugh so brightly, they're like a warm light. They live their lives and shine so brightly...that I can't even look straight at them. Meanwhile....this black void, is where i'm currently standing and the path that I must follow to reach that bright future that seems like a far off dream."
"So then....what would you sacrifice just for this future where they all smile? Or rather, what desires do wish for if you reached that future?"
Kyoya was silent after he heard the voice. While the owner of the voice was also silent, an air of disappointment could be felt from him. Though what he saw next truly surprised him.
"Damn it all!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kyoya ran forward at full speed. His heart was ripped out of his chest and he was back in his original spot, but he kept running forward. Soon his upper body was sliced off from his lower one. As Kyoya was back in his original spot and saw his corpses piling up, he kept running forward. Seeing this, the voice asked a simple question.
"Why are you going this far? Do you not see that each step you've taken has lead to your own demise?!"
"A future where everyone is happy. I know that's a load of bullshit because I know how they think. They're future wouldn't be the same if I was left behind, that's just the type of thinking they have!!!! It's not just for them either, my reason is selfish as hell. I want to smile, even though i've been miserable! I want to be strong even though i've been weak! I want to have courage even though i'm a coward!!!!!! I want to laugh and enjoy life even when i've grieved and hated every second of my life!!!!!! I want to be surrounded by people who care for me even though i've been alone!!!!!"
As Kyoya was speaking, he kept running. Time and time again, he saw the mountain of his own corpse piling up as he felt the pain from each death. Yet the voice noticed something. Despite all the pain and death, Kyoya hasn't looked back and he hasn't given up.
"I want to spend the rest of my days living just like those bastards in front of me. I want to be able to have a dream! I want to be able to live without regrets!!! I want to be someone they can rely on!!!! I want to be a person I can be proud of!!!! I want to be a person that can look at his comrades with his head up high This is my wish!!!!! This is my desire!!!!!! This is the future I crave!!!!! This is my sin!!!!!! This is my greed!!!!!! I want a future.....WHERE I LIVE ON AND SMILE WITH THEM, FREE FROM THE SHACKLES KNOWN AS MY PAST!!!!!! I WANT TO BE HUMAN!!!!!!!"
His limbs being sliced off, his head being detached from his body, even being burned alive. Kyoya saw a mountain of his own corpses that died in various ways, yet he noticed he was getting closer to the light at the end of the dark void where everyone was waiting. As blooding was dripping down his face, he pressed onward.
"To hell with the Dark Triad! To hell with my revenge!!!!! To hell with my own pride!!!! To hell with my own hatred!!!!! If it means saving my captain, if it means the Black Bulls can be complete again, if it means I can continue living just like Ur wanted me to......I'LL GLADLY GIVE UP MY RAGE AND FEAR IF IT MEANS I CAN MOVE FORWARD!!!!!! I'LL ENDURE!!!!! I'LL SURVIVE!!!!!! I'LL PERSEVERE SO NO ONE CRIES FOR MY SAKE!!!!! THIS TIME I'LL DO IT RIGHT!!!!! RIGHT HERE!!!!! RIGHT NOW.........I'LL SHOW THAT EVEN A PIECE OF SHIT LIKE ME HAS A REASON TO LIVE!!!!!!!"
Soon Kyoya stopped running as his final corpse hits the ground. However, he wasn't in the dark void anymore. He was in a grassy plain with a bright blue sky. For a few moments, he couldn't find the words to say.
"Your revenge. Your hatred towards devils. Your bloodlust that's been building up over the years. Would you really give all of it up, just to live without regrets even if it means you could die at any moment? Even if it means giving up your humanity?"
"I doubt i'll completely lose my hate and bloodlust against devils. In fact, it may never leave me. But even so, who would want to live only knowing anger and hatred?"
As Kyoya said this, he began to look back on his life. While there was suffering, he focused too much on that aspect of his life. He had friends that he could turn to. He had people of a kingdom to protect. He had a reason for living and people who count on him. Yet all of that was blind to him due to simple curses known as hatred and suffering.
"You know, all my life I was told to be strong, but I envied the weak. They could roam in a group of people and they help each other out as they grow. Meanwhile, the strong get used, but no one even cares to ask if they're okay just because the individual is "strong enough" to deal with it themselves. People look up to the strong so much, that they forget that even the strong are human. But I realized something important. Unlike my time in the Spade Kingdom......"
As Kyoya turned around, he looked at the people in front of him. A small smile appeared on his face as he looked at the group that accepted him, the Black Bulls.
Soon Kyoya turned to the side as he saw a young woman who resembled his teacher. Even though they were enemies at first, one thing was certain. They were both connected through Ur. They were the only people who remember her, so they need to survive to keep that memory alive.
After that, he saw another person with them. A girl who wanted nothing to do with him at first, but they slowly built a bond as time went by. To be honest, she played a great part in keeping him sane.
Seeing all of this, Kyoya couldn't help but feel tears running down his face. As he wiped them away, a smile could be seen upon his face as he realized something important. Something that he was ignoring for far too long.
".....i'm not alone anymore. That's why, i'll do anything to keep on living with them."
"I see, you truly are a kind soul. In that case. You pass your final trial, my descendant. I think it's time......"
"That we speak face to face."