"Existence" had always been important to Damien. He worked so much to solidify his sense of identity, and once he'd defined it, he did everything he could to protect it, even in death.
So when he met the Saint Emperor, he tried to see through that man's existence.
It was impossible at first. His eyes couldn't penetrate the almost billion-year-old defense he'd put in place, but as he told his story, his "existence" became clearer to Damien.
And what he saw…was himself.
Deep within the Saint Emperor was an image of Damien.
This wasn't a manifestation of his feelings or their similarity, but entirely the Saint Emperor's doing.
He wasn't lying or exaggerating. He wasn't spouting nonsense in his insanity.
Everything the Saint Emperor had, everything he desired, everything he represented or embodied…all revolved around Damien.
It was unsettling.
The Saint Emperor's usual irregularity could be put aside for a second. Everything he did before he took interest in Damien could be disregarded.
How could he possibly have an "existence" like this?
What did Damien mean for him to change his whole identity for his sake?
Damien couldn't understand it.
But he did realize that their connection was far deeper than he originally thought.
The Saint Emperor did one-sidedly control a lot of the conflicts he faced in this life. He did have an obsession that couldn't be explained easily.
But just now, the Saint Emperor said something that struck Damien's soul.
"Just as I am obsessed with you, you are obsessed with me."
Damien's life…he never saw the Saint Emperor as the meaning to his existence.
However, if he took into consideration the hidden hand that moved so many things around him…
Then, for the longest time, Damien had been chasing the Saint Emperor with his eyes closed, blind to the truth.
It was even more infuriating. Damien's distaste for others controlling his life was extremely clear by now, and the fact that a large portion of his life had fallen under someone's control was unacceptable.
Eventually, Damien did leave the Saint Emperor's reach. The Saint Emperor definitely didn't expect Damien to grow as he did, just like Dante couldn't predict Damien's growth.
The problem was, unlike Dante who couldn't directly interfere in a path he set up long ago, the Saint Emperor was able to adapt to Damien's growth rate and change his own plans, regaining a hold on him.
Behind the scenes, there had been a constant battle of push and pull between Damien and the Saint Emperor that led up to this moment.
The Saint Emperor had been watching it from above, and his excitement and madness could be explained by his anticipation.
However, Damien was within it, only finding out now. All his negative emotion was fueled by the fact that this unknown battle was only becoming clear when it was reaching its end, the fact that, if the Saint Emperor truly desired it, he could've absolutely torn apart everything Damien cared for.
Whether it be his wives, his friends, his allies, his worlds…
How could he protect them from an unknown enemy that had comprehended all aspects of the universe?
But even then, that was only half of it.
That animosity conflicted with another feeling in his soul, one he did not accept in any way, shape, or form.
It was understanding.
As mentioned prior, Damien completely understood the Saint Emperor.
As a man sensitive to time after gaining the ability to manipulate it, he understood that the future the Saint Emperor symbolized wasn't just potential, but might've already happened.
Damien could turn back time. Even if it was only for a second, he had the ability to do so.
He always wondered how it worked. Since the time he rewound was localized, did it superimpose on the current timeline? Or was a separate timeline created to accommodate his actions?
The existence of a split timeline couldn't be ignored, because when Spacetime first presented itself to him, it did so as a river.
Streams flowed into rivers, and rivers flowed into the ocean. If this analogy was translated into terms related to Spacetime, who was Damien to say there weren't already countless possible futures that he wasn't able to avoid?
How could he say that he was the "only" Damien Void?
Until he became a being space and time couldn't contain, he had no right to say that.
Perhaps it was an unnecessary worry. Perhaps he was just thinking nonsensically and allowing those imaginary futures to affect his mind.
Yet, it didn't feel that way to him.
It felt like…
He couldn't explain it.
When he looked at the Saint Emperor, he felt pity.
He felt pity and understanding that pushed back against his hatred.
He wanted to hate the Saint Emperor, but in the very core of his being, he could not hate the man.
That feeling frustrated him and made him feel incredible discomfort, and with no way to release these emotions, they manifested as rage.
And so, the two of them continued to fight.
The Saint Emperor didn't speak more, and Damien didn't entertain him either.
They allowed their laws to mingle. They allowed their very existences to clash against each other.
They were irreconcilable, but they found enjoyment in battling each other.
Because just as much as the Saint Emperor had never met someone who could understand him like so, Damien had never met someone like the Saint Emperor.
There wasn't a person in existence who could stand up to him like this. There wasn't someone who could make him feel such strong hostility.
His enemies were below him.
To Damien, the Saint Emperor was perfect. He was a perfect end to the chronicles he created in the lower universe, the perfect enemy to mark the beginning of the next part of his story.
He wanted to enjoy this no matter what his emotions told him.
It was convoluted.
It was such a twisted bundle of emotions that Damien stopped thinking about it altogether.
He was going to defeat this man and validate all his efforts until now. He was going to take everything this man had and reach a point where nothing could inhibit him anymore.
And the Saint Emperor seemed to hold the same feeling.
He countered Damien with only the forces Damien used. When he attacked, Damien replied in kind.
As they clashed and fought, they both reached new understandings and grew. As they grew, they used those new comprehensions to fight, which promoted even further growth.
Rather than a fight between enemies, it started to feel more like a spar between old friends.
Old friends that hated each other to the bone.
Damien was enamored by their battle.
Partial Existence Law in its current form couldn't defeat the Saint Emperor.
He'd already activated his transformations to enhance his nigh immortal body to a new level. His bloodlines were raging in full force to support everything he did.
Whether it was the laws he already got used to, or the ones he hadn't used yet gained access to after tethering the fundamental laws, he tried to use them all.
As his proficiency grew, something in his soul became active too.
"Azure" started to move.
And slowly but surely, Damien's existence was becoming more complete.
