Ball of Nothing

"We need to talk."

That line just screamed of so many terrible cliches that Lilith cringed. She just couldn't view Baal and Zero as ordinary friends despite Baal's claims. He was way too obsessed with the brunet and fussed over everything.

Zero raised a brow. "Ok."

The succubus slapped a palm over her face. What's with this comical reaction? Mammon coughed beside her while Amon and Shittomi were left to wonder what that was about.

"Not that kind of talk," Baal clarified. "It's something serious about you and us."

Amon coughed and blushed lightly. Shittomi's eyes sparkled with interest but the joke flew over Zero's head. Baal didn't seem to realise just how he'd phrased his words because he continued without caring about the other Demon Lords present.

"Remember how I told you that I was a fragment of the Divine Entity Duu?"

Zero nodded.

"I'm not the only one who is a fragment of a Divine Entity. I'm not going to do the introductions so you guys should do it. Zero doesn't know the two of you so it's best to give him a summary about yourself."

Shittomi smiled at Zero and shook his hand while she introduced herself.

"I'm Shittomi, Demon Queen of Envy, the Winter Queen and also a Fragment of the Divine Entity of Jealousy - Jevy."

Zero couldn't help but notice how cold her hands were. According to one of Mii's lectures, there were six Divine Entities that represented Great One's darkness and six Divine Entities that represented Great One's light. Zero knew bits and pieces about it after recovering a portion of his memories from the Great Gods. Zero knew that whatever memories Baal and the other Demon Lords had would probably end up altering his perspective about the world. No wonder Baal wanted to talk.

"Nice to meet you, Shittomi..."

Amon introduced himself next and clapped Zero on the back with a hearty laugh. Zero stumbled forward at the force and was glad that he knew healing magic. It didn't hurt him much but there was definitely a bruise forming on his fragile human body.

"I'm Amon! The Demon Lord of Wrath and a fragment of the Divine Entity of Anger - Venn. If you happen to see the bastard Kale or any of his spawns, please let me know. Venn and I have a score to settle with them."

Zero laughed nervously when Amon flexed. There was no way he would involve himself in Amon's feud. It sounded too troublesome and for a moment, Zero could understand why Baal was always so impassive towards everything.

"I think there is no need to introduce myself," Mammon spoke up. "I'm the fragment of Divine Entity Gugu, the true master of Greed."

Baal nodded after the curt introduction. He was about to continue but caught on when Zero's expectant eyes landed on Lilith.

"Sorry kid, I'm not anything special like them. Think of me as a security measure. Baal said that the five of you will be vulnerable to attacks during the ritual."

"Thank you," Zero beamed and Lilith held her nose to prevent a nosebleed. The kid was too cute for his own good!

"Right," Baal deadpanned and continued as if Lilith wasn't there. "This is the most important part. Zero, the decision is yours to make. While we hold the memories of the Divine Entities we were created after, we cannot impart our powers to you. You would have to find them and have them return to you physically. However, it doesn't change the fact that you might be mentally scarred. It will be impossible to look at the world in the same light as before. I'm sure you understand what I mean."

The brunet weighed his choices carefully. He knew that it was his mission to recover his memories. The option was right before his eyes, handed to him on a silver platter. To not grasp this opportunity would be a waste. Then again, Zero didn't want to have to put his current phase of life behind him. What Baal said was too true. He knew exactly how that felt like.

Before knowing the truth about his existence from the Great Gods, Zero was both fascinated and afraid of the world. He loved everything about the world. There was nothing bad or good about it, he embraced everything and accepted it for what it was. Every creation was beautiful no matter how flawed it really was.

However, after receiving the memories, Zero couldn't see it in the same manner anymore. The colours in his vision dulled. Zero knew instantly what good and bad was. He was able to discern things that were beautiful and ugly. That wasn't the case before. It made the brunet feel terrible that he could no longer appreciate the uniqueness of every creation. Along with his mental transformation, he grew physically. Strangely, the body that Gaia and the Great Gods created for him wasn't meant to grow. The fact that it did meant that Zero had become closer to becoming something that belonged to this world.

"Zero?"

The brunet looked into Baal's eyes. There was both fear and hesitation reflected in them. Baal didn't rush Zero for a decision. Instead, he held his hands, giving Zero the reassurance he needed. The Demon Lord's silent support was the last factor to help Zero make up his mind. Even if the whole world turned against him because of what he became, Zero knew that Baal would always be on his side.

"I'll do it," he told the Demon Lords. Shittomi smiled and Amon grinned. Mammon didn't seem to care either way but Baal looked slightly worried.

"You'll scold me again if I start doing the wrong thing, won't you?" he asked.

The Demon Lord of Idleness looked into Zero's hazel eyes. Time slowed down for the both of them, their eyes reflecting every doubt, fear and trust they had for each other. Lilith watched the two boys communicate without words and thought that it looked beautiful. They came to a consensus when Baal turned away, defeated. Zero's eyes shone brightly but not in victory.

"You owe me one," was all Baal told Zero before he got into position with the other Demon Lords to link arms and form a circle around Zero.

Lilith checked the area before giving them the green light to proceed with the ritual. It didn't take long for them to settle into silence. The succubus pouted. There was no chanting, no magic pulses of powerful energy, there was nothing at all.

Still, a ritual was a ritual. With nothing better to do while watching over the five individuals, Lilith decided to steal a book from Baal's bookshelf and made herself comfortable on his underutilised chair. Who knew how long the process would take?

***

Zero was back in a very familiar place. He felt much lighter than he ever remembered. The feeling of being in nothing was extremely liberating although the lack of sensations bothered him a little.

One by one, they materialised but not in the form Zero was familiar with. He only remembered seeing the familiar lights from his earlier memories.

The Red Light radiated warmly and flared brilliantly. Beside it, the Blue Light flickered gradually into existence, not willing to burn as brightly as its Red counterpart. Then, the Green Light appeared. It was twice as big as the Blue Light. Zero knew at once what he was looking at.

[You have met the requirements to unlock the basic quests. Would you like to view the memories for the Divine Entities Gugu, Venn, Jevy and Duu now?]

Zero stared at the screen. It has been a while since he'd seen a message prompt by the Mind's Eye system. He was so used to having Mii do all the talking that he forgot the strawcherry fairy was only an extension of the system created by his past self.

"Yes, please."

Mind's Eye registered his answer and processed it quickly. As expected, Zero found himself growing sleepier by the moment and didn't fight with the feeling.

When Zero opened his eyes, he was greeted by the stench of metal and something pungent. It wasn't very bright around him but Zero saw many bodies lying around him. It appeared that Venn's memories were about war.

"Give it up!" the Divine Entity shouted from the bottom of the cliff to the figure standing on top of the cliff.

The figure standing proudly at the top didn't smile. If anything, his eyes narrowed in displeasure. "You will never win, Venn. Compared to me, you are weak. You and your kind will perish before me. The Great One is no more, this world is doomed."

Zero saw the Sabre Tooth growl menacingly. He didn't know what was going on but he felt Venn's anger coursing through him. It burned and the bitter hatred was like acid on his skin, eating away at the flesh, leaving only agony behind.

The figure on top of the cliff dived and swooped down with enormous wings. The shadow of his wings covered Venn's army and a terrifying shriek from the bird-like warrior killed most of Venn's men. The Divine Entity wasn't unscathed from the sound attack either. However, he leapt into the sky using his powerful legs to propel him and caught onto the enemy, sending them spiralling towards the hard ground.

The battle was bloody with Venn's rage overpowering Zero's sense of self. Venn wasn't in good condition. The archers from above the cliff started shooting and Venn was heavily injured towards the end. The enemy gazed at Venn coldly as he bled out, dying. Zero shuddered at the intensity of Venn's feelings at that point of time. Even when sharp talons ripped into his throat, Venn's feelings didn't dissipate. The lingering sense of hate left a foul aftertaste in Zero's mouth and the memory faded away, replaced by the next.

Zero wasn't too surprised to see Venn destroying things in the next memory. The Divine Entity tore through anything he could get his paws on. He was in such frenzy that he didn't notice a small cat coming into his room.

The brunet grimaced as Venn's sharp claws swiped across the cat's face, drawing blood. Her distressed cries made Venn halt but it was already too late. The damage couldn't be undone.

"Doctor, get the doctor!" he yelled at some nearby servants but the small cat continued to bleed.

"I'm so sorry, daughter of mine... I'm sorry..."

It was at this point that Zero understood what Venn wanted to show him. There were many kinds of anger. The brunet wondered what his past self's reason for anger was. There had to be a strong reason in order for a Divine Entity to be created. He understood Nel's existence. The Great One's regret created Nel in hopes that she would right his wrongs. What did Great One desire when he created Venn?

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Venn's Regret? Rewards: Venn's Divine Soul.]

Zero blinked. It wasn't what he was expecting. Why would he want Venn's soul? Then again, didn't he possess three Divine Souls already? The tri-coloured petals from the sisters Murvin, Law and Isaben were sitting in his inventory.

"Yes," Zero accepted the Quest and saw it being added to his quest window.

He didn't want to read the extra information provided just yet. He'd do it after his training. With that, he went on to view the next memory.

This time, it was Duu's memory. Nothing seemed different when Zero compared it to Baal. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would have thought he was viewing Baal's memory despite the change in environment. Duu decided to take a nap and only woke up to walk a little.

For the first thousand years, Duu slept. He only woke up when there was an uncharacteristic cold surrounding the Divine Entity. Duu woke up in the middle of the ocean but as expected, he returned to sleep quickly. The next time Duu woke up, Zero raised a brow. There were life forms around him and Zero was amused. Duu was now a rock that the early civilisations worshipped. This time, Duu remained awake to observe the creatures go about their daily lives. He remained awake for over a hundred years and Zero wondered what was so interesting about watching mundane things.

One by one, the civilisation died and Duu was left all alone again. This time, instead of going back to sleep, Duu decided to venture from his spot. Zero nodded and agreed with Duu's choice. He'd definitely slept enough. However, to Duu's horror, he couldn't move from his spot. Zero didn't know if he should laugh or cry at Duu's predicament. Then, Duu decided to create Baal in hopes that the Demon Lord would help free him. Zero wanted to smack Baal in the memory when he ditched the Divine Entity to 'search' for their master. Of course, Baal never returned and without any spare energy, Duu was stuck at where he was.

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Retrieving Duu? Rewards: Duu's Divine Soul.]

Zero didn't even need to think twice before accepting. He would smack Baal at least once when this is over. This was selfishness at the highest level. Zero couldn't imagine how angry he would be if someone he trusted left him in a ditch even if they could've helped without much effort.

The next memory was nothing as dramatic as the first or frustrating as the second. However, it was slightly confusing. The Green Light split into two Divine Entities and even though they were born from the same source, they differed greatly.

The first thing Gugu did in the memory was to claim the biggest planet in existence as well as everything within his reach. That got him tangled in a dispute with Venn who'd already claimed a planet as his territory.

While Gugu was busy fighting with Venn over territory, Jevy went around collecting things she liked. At first, it was small things like flowers, animals and various bodies she fancied. However, it gradually became worse and the Divine Entity committed crimes to pursue true beauty.

It wasn't uncommon for things to go missing and nine out of ten times a God or Goddess was missing something, Jevy was behind it. To make matters worse, Jevy discarded what she didn't like in random places, causing huge misunderstandings.

One Goddesses' necklace would end up in the bedroom of another God and the ring of a certain God would end up in the cave of a certain sylph. Zero groaned when he saw how both wars escalated. Eventually, it became big enough to have several planets destroyed in the process, including the first Earth.

Gugu just couldn't get enough material possessions and Jevy couldn't get enough pretty things. Their hoarding posed a separate issue with so many things lying all over. Zero watched in horror at the number of things the two Divine Entities amassed over time. They had hideouts in almost every plane, dimension and planet. It was amazing in a way how they always knew what they had and where they kept it. At the same time, it was disturbing to know that Gugu kept the cursed crown that many have died to craft and wear while Jevy kept the preserved toe of a mermaid who had the most beautiful pair of feet.

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Retail Therapy? Rewards: Gugu & Jevy's Divine Soul.]

Zero felt a headache coming up. That wasn't what he was expecting. The other hidden quests were about helping the Divine Entities. How was shopping going to aid the two Divine Entities most obsessed with collecting things?

He glared at the screen but accepted the quest anyway. He would think about it when the time came. For now, Zero was just happy that he viewed the memories without a hitch. Nothing much has changed for Zero and he relaxed a little.

[Warning: System will undergo an upgrade to incorporate the memories of the four new Divine Entities.]

Zero didn't have much time to react before he was sent back to the void. His connection with Mii and the Demon Lords was severed. Zero blinked in the darkness, unsure of what to do.

Sighing, the brunet decided to digest all the information. Many things have happened since he woke up and he doesn't know what he should be doing at this point. While Mii was his voice of reason who constantly pointed him into the right direction ever since her upgrade, Zero felt that their perspectives have been differing greatly lately.

Schaf shouldn't have to suffer. Zero didn't think Schaf was right but he also didn't think Schaf deserved what was happening. Kerberos did deserve what was coming for him though. Just like Zero, he needed a harsh scolding and lesson to understand where he'd gone wrong. In comparison, Zero thinks that Mii and Baal had gone easy on him with the scolding.

"What should I do?" he sighed.

[System has completed the upgrade. New functions exist. Please check them in your system log.]

Eager, Zero called for the status window and raised his brow at the first change he saw.

"Inheritor of Sins? What an odd title."

[Inheritor of Sins]

Effect: Allows the title holder to absorb all sins and convert them to a form of consumable power

Zero blinked. He read it three more times before a devious smirk appeared. Whatever this title was, it came at a great timing.

"I guess it's time to call Buddha again. System, can this title convert sins into energy?"

[Affirmative.]

"How many times can I use this? Is this a one-time use or something that can be used repeatedly at no cost at all?"

The system took a while before replying Zero.

[The Title's effect is bound by both verbal and written contract between the title holder and contract holder. The contract remains active until it is considered null and void by either party.]

Zero thought for a while. He smiled to himself. Yes, this would be a much better plan. Nobody should have any qualms about it if the arrangement benefitted all parties.

Just as he was about to rejoice, Zero paled.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid Gugu's memories and Duu's attitude are affecting me already. How terrible!"

The system didn't reply or offer consolation while Zero fought with himself. That was the exact state the Demon Lords found Zero in when they returned to the abyss.

"No, I can't. That's a terrible thing to think!"

"Yes, I can. It's not only effective, but it's also the most lucrative option. I should choose this."

"But it's embarrassing!"

"It'll only be embarrassing the first time, the more reason to get over with it."

Baal looked at the other Demon Lords with a hint of worry in his eyes. Did accepting four sets of memory finally break Zero?

"Hahaha! Yes, I'm a genius! Mhmm, this will definitely work out. I'm sure of it!"

"No way! What if they hate me? They already hate me for thinking of such a shameless idea... what should I do?"

Zero continued to ignore everyone as he spoke to himself making various expressions. Baal whipped out his communicator.

"Hello, is this Truen? Yes. Remember I told you that there might be some complications if we let him view the memories? Yes. About that... I think we broke Zero..."