Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System
Chapter 171: Interlude: Transcendence of Humanity, Part One

Crouching for a moment, he shot up as a bolt of black-and-purple lightning, ascending from the shallow sea, past the shattered sky, before leaving the boundaries of the world within a mere moment.

Entering the reaches of the cosmos, he stared at the faceless humanoid that dwarfed the world, that held it in its hands to crush it to nothing more than dust. It was just as Sirius met it in his sights did the First Order collapse in its entirety, being squashed into a storm of dust and sediment that blew outwards into the beyond.

The sight stirred emotion within the resurrected hero, though Sirius held it in, keeping his focus on the world-destroying being, "Nothing left, then."

With the planet he protected turned to dust, the title and authority of godhood was gone–he existed as nothing more than a man, though one that had transcended.

[Sirius Federov] [Level: 450]

["Apocalypse"] [Level: 500]

Though he was no larger than the atom of a grain of sand in comparison to the pale-fleshed colossus, floating there in the reaches of the cosmos, it looked in his direction with certainty. Stay tuned to m-v l|-NovelFire.net

'I'm not a god. I never was–it was just a title thrust onto me, one that people chose to believe in. Right now, I'm only a man…fighting because there's nothing else left to do but fight. I'm carrying a million souls within me–right now, all of them want me to give you hell,' the resolve flourished through him.

Sparks coiled around his body as he faced down the being billions of times his own size, though the presence of his electric soul matched it in scale. The first act was taken by Sirius; he flexed his body, allowing his internal electricity to charge each cell.

As he pulled his hand back, he allowed a sum of electricity to surge through his arm and pushed through his fingertips, far surpassing any voltage he had ever commanded in his long life. A brilliant flash not unlike that of a star spawned at his fingers before he cast his hand forth, sending the transcendent bolt forward–

Through the cosmos, the spear of vibrant lightning carried with it a scale larger enough to pierce worlds, zapping across space before colliding in the center of the Apocalypse's vast chest. At the moment of impact, the void of the universe rippled as the beautiful sight filled Sirius' eyes:

The once immovable, impervious Apocalypse was sent flying back in all of its oversized glory. At that moment, the man who once believed he stood alone realized what lay within him, feeling the lively spark in each of his cells.

'I get it now. When I died, it didn't mark my second life. It was the resurrection of everybody of the world–all of the souls I carry with me. It wasn't the ascendance of a god, no…Humanity itself transcended…with me as its fist,' Sirius realized, looking at his hand as sparks fluttered on their own accord, in unison with his soul.

With only one goal left ahead of him, the man carrying the will of his world flew across the reaches of space as an unrestrained bolt. The distance of a solar system was crossed in mere moments before he brought himself directly before the Apocalypse.

It was no different than landing on a planetary form, replaceing himself landing on a flat, beige region that spanned the size of continents, at least that's how far his vision took him. All of what he could see was no more than a cell of the colossal being, though it didn't change what he planned to do as he brought his fist back–

'Every time I clench my fist, I feel it–the souls of everybody, resonating, sparking, roaring out for me to strike!' Sirius felt.

As he shot his fist forward, it collided with the boundless flesh of the entity with an impact that rumbled through its star-sized mass. The residual force from the movement of his fist rippled through space, pushing aside the planetary masses of rock that floated aimlessly.

Once more, the colossal figure was sent flipping away, crashing through asteroids and straggling masses.

Sirius watched, taking in the sight astronomical even to himself. In that moment, looking at the lively sparks that danced across his arm, memories from a time too far to remember clearly, or perhaps memories that were experienced from another self, surfaced–

'Moments like this stir up those thoughts. I can't remember your name, no–I would remember it. Maybe it was another life, but I know…That eyepatch-wearing, snowy-haired brat. Right now, if you saw this, I know you'd be cheering me on,' the perplexing thoughts comforted Sirius.

Amidst that thought, he was taken aback by an inexplicable display of speed from the star-sized entity. It appeared in front of him in an instant, rippling the space around him as his eardrums blared.

Before he could move to defend himself, its will was manifested through a colossal slash large enough to sever multiple planets in one. It cleaved through the left side of Sirius' body, sending his shoulder and arm flying as blood drifted out into the cosmos.

Perhaps it was the unison of humanity that thrived within him, or perhaps it was his own self realizing what fate awaited him, but he somehow felt calm about it all. It was an inner tranquility so immovable that he found himself questioning his own state of mind–

'Through all of this, I've never once shed a tear. I acknowledge and understand that the end of the world is a sad fate–my heart aches as though it's clenched in a giant's fist. I believe…fighting these thousands of years as the "selfless savior" has made me learn to close my emotions. Often despite my greatest efforts, tragedy will strike nonetheless. In such times, I cannot weep.

Crying is a luxury a hero does not have. I must smile,' Sirius reaffirmed.

Despite that, in odds of what he reminded himself of, he could feel the countless souls of the people within him, supporting him, igniting him. So close to his own soul, their experiences, their emotions, their memories–they were one and the same with his own.

Parents witnessing their child's first steps; siblings playing with one another outside, laughing with innocent joy; two newlyweds sharing happiness in the birth of their first child; the first kiss shared between lovers; the loss of a spouse after spending their entire lives together.

All of these experiences freely flowed through his own soul; that singularity of humanity was one and the same with him now.

For the first time in centuries, standing on the boundless cosmos as stars watched onto the clash, tears trickled down the hero's cheek.

'So much was taken. So much was lost. There's…no bringing any of that back. But, I'll make sure this cruel universe remembers all of us forever–that much I promise,' Sirius resolved.

As simple as a mere thought, the man's severed left side reformed itself through radiant strands of light, intertwining and recreating the lost portion of his body in an instant. To his hand, a coalescence of electricity intertwined, producing a shine that rivaled the stars that watched.

With a single motion, an array of lightning bolts were scattered through the dark cosmos, bringing forth a shine through it. As the strands of humanity's transcendence struck forth, colliding with the Apocalypse, a shift was witnessed–

That size that spanned worlds rearranged itself, condensing to a form that required the last member of the lost world to squint.

'It changed size–?' Sirius realized.

Just as he came to discover this alteration, a blur approached him with frightening speed. An impact drove itself into his abdomen before he could brace himself, forcing all the air from his lungs.

The faceless Apocalypse had arrived with a form no larger than himself, though the force that had collided with his stomach felt no different.

'It realized its massive body was too large of a target, so it changed…but, this power–it's still the weight of a star, no–heavier, maybe denser?' Sirius analyzed as he exhaled sharply to regain himself.

In that single strike, his internal organs had been ruptured and liquified; his bones crunched and turned to powder. As quickly as he was annihilated on the inside, his body reformed itself as he exhaled with a spat of blood.

He countered with a quick flick of electricity, sparking against the condensed Apocalypse. Just as the element hit its barren flesh, he instead found himself grabbed by the faceless entity.

"Ah–"

Before he could contest its grasp, he found himself tossed in a direction with terrible force. It sent him flying at immeasurable speeds, crashing through asteroids before replaceing himself plummeting into an unknown planet.

It was a dark, gloomy world with a verdant sky filled with fog and land of lifeless soil. The very moment he caught himself, letting his feet crash into the brittle land, he looked up to replace the sky itself being pushed aside.

A palm larger than the planet itself came crashing down with the intent to squash him like an insect. Everything shook; the wind shrieked and the ground quaked from the intense gravity plummeting with the world-crushing hand.

"Bring it on, then–!" Sirius accepted the challenge.