"What about you then? Weren't you given nothing, either? Weren't you included in them as well until things went south?" Raphael asked, remembering what Azekiel had told them about him before.
Azekiel hadn't received a system initially either. He only received a system after his consciousness traveled back in time following his death. So wasn't he the same as these people in that regard? What was different about the two situations?
"Not quite the same thing. Even when I didn't have a system, I took a step to improve my life, even if it was risky. I raised my hand when there was an opportunity to become a Porter for a King, even though it was risky. I didn't have a system, nor did I have much strength, but I still went up instead of staying here."
"Granted, I had some situational motivation, but still, at the end of the day, it was my decision. And even that wasn't enough for me to receive a system. I only received it when I got the right mindset, right before my death. It was when I realized that the world was quite cruel and that without strength, I was only at the mercy of others."
"That's where I received the system and went back in time. If I were still as naive, I would've gone through the same process again and again."
"The people here... It's not that they can't achieve anything. The only thing is that their path ahead will be even more treacherous, where they'll be at the mercy of others. They aren't alone in this either, and I don't think they can solely be blamed for this mentality. Many people have a similar mentality. As I said before, it is not just the problem of this world but of many."
Immersed in conversation, Azekiel walked closer to the portal to the First Floor, but he didn't stop there.
He walked past it, stopping before the wall.
"How do you know about the other worlds? From Alion's memories?" Raphael asked
Azekiel affirmed. "That's right. By the way, through his memories, I also saw his conversation with you. I know what he told you and how he tried to manipulate you. If you're taking him seriously, then you shouldn't. He wasn't being honest."
"He just wanted to sway you against me, so you killed me. Moreover, the only reason he didn't kill me wasn't because he was worried about a time paradox. It was because he found it boring. I had spoiled his plan, so he didn't want to give me an easy death. It was also considered boring by him."
" He wanted to make things fun for him. He wanted to make you kill me since that was fun for him. He wanted to see me betrayed by you. It was true that he was from the future, but he wasn't our friend. In fact, in his memories, there was no mention of me. I don't think he even knew me in the future."
"If you know that much you should also know about that bracelet?"
"The one you made for your master? Yeah, it's not given to him by you. He was telling the truth when he said that you dropped it when fighting someone. What he didn't tell you was that the one you were fighting was him. You two weren't friends but enemies in the tower. When you dropped it, that's when he picked up the bracelet."
"We were enemies in the Tower, but he didn't know you?"
"Yep. In the future he came from, you weren't with me. Or rather, I should say that it wasn't your future where he came from. He came from your past, which is my future," Azekiel answered, making things even more confusing.
"What are you saying?"
Not only Raphael but even Lia found it hard to understand what they were talking about.
"It's hard to explain in words, so I won't blame you for your confusion. I'll try to explain it as best as I can."
"The Tower of Sin that you see before you? It's not just a simple tower... It's a tower that bends all the rules of space and time. The time in this tower is really messed up and basically impossible to decipher."
"In your past, you were a participant in this Tower, along with some others from your world. Just like my world was destroyed, the same happened to your world, and amongst the people who took shelter in the tower, you were one of them. You were selected as the King of Gluttony and given the System of Gluttony before me."
"The missions that I'm receiving now? You received most of them before, albeit with some differences. Unfortunately, you failed to get to the top, only to be killed when you were close to the top. Or at least that's what I can guess since I didn't see your death in the memories of Alion."
"But you're in your spiritual form, so it's not hard to guess that you failed. After you failed, your soul was kept by the Tower of Sin, with your memories being wiped... At least most of your memories are related to the tower."
Azekiel tapped the head of Lia. "This story also applies to you, so listen carefully."
"You both were kings in your time, but both of you failed. When I summoned you two as Familiars, your Souls came to me, but your souls should belong to my future. But that's where the mess of time also comes in the tower."
"In my time, you two haven't died yet. You two are still alive, but still, I received you two as Familiars in the past because the laws of Time and Space don't apply in the tower. In present times, maybe your world isn't destroyed either, but in the future, they are, and we can't stop that from happening."
"What we saw on the second floor? That second floor and the graveyards were also from the future, where the Tower had made an appearance."
"This tower... Who could make something like this then?" Lia asked, overwhelmed by all the information.
