Chapter 755: The One Who Corrects

Zero left the abandoned facility without looking back.

The cold night air struck his face as he stepped into the forest surrounding the ruined industrial district. Moonlight passed through the branches above, painting broken patterns across the ground.

He should have returned to the capital.

Instead, he stopped.

Something was wrong.

The stranger had disappeared without leaving a trace.

Zero had searched the entire facility before leaving. There had been no hidden passage, no teleportation signature, no spatial distortion that he could detect.

Yet one thing remained in his mind.

I’m correcting my mistakes.

Zero slowly repeated those words.

"Your mistakes..."

His eyes narrowed.

The attacks.

The border conflicts.

The attempts to disrupt the peace treaty.

The strange incidents that had continued even after Aamon’s defeat.

Someone had been deliberately keeping the human and devil domains divided.

Someone wanted the treaty to fail.

Someone wanted Edolas to return to war.

And now Zero knew who was behind it.

His own face.

His own voice.

His own memories.

But from another world.

Zero’s hand slowly tightened.

"Why?"

That was the question he couldn’t answer.

Why would another version of himself care about Edolas?

Why interfere with a world that wasn’t his?

Why destroy the peace that so many had fought to establish?

Zero looked toward the distant lights of the capital.

Lilith had become queen.

The treaty had finally been accepted.

Humans and devils were beginning to rebuild their territories.

For the first time in generations, there was a possibility that children born in the future wouldn’t grow up believing that the other side was their enemy.

Zero wanted that future.

He believed peace would make the world safer.

Not perfect.

Not without conflict.

But safer.

And that was enough.

He disappeared into the forest.

***************************

Three days passed.

Nothing happened.

The capital continued its ordinary routine.

The peace treaty remained intact.

Human merchants cautiously began traveling toward the devil domain.

Devil representatives arrived in human territory under strict supervision.

The War Council continued its meetings.

The Church protested.

The Authority investigated.

But despite the political tension, nobody attacked.

Zero spent those three days investigating everything he could.

Every suspicious incident.

Every attack against treaty supporters.

Every missing shipment.

Every attempted assassination.

Every disturbance along the former battlefield.

The more he investigated, the more disturbing the pattern became.

All of them pointed toward one conclusion.

The attacks weren’t random.

Someone was carefully manipulating both sides.

Making humans distrust devils.

Making devils distrust humans.

Creating just enough fear to prevent peace from becoming permanent.

And whoever was doing it understood Zero.

Too well.

They anticipated his movements.

They knew the techniques he preferred.

They understood his fighting style.

They even knew how he would react to certain situations.

It was as if someone had studied his entire life.

Then Zero realized the truth.

They hadn’t studied him.

They were him.

**************************************

That evening, Zero received another message.

No words.

Only coordinates.

He stared at the screen for several seconds.

Then he stood.

This time he didn’t tell Aidan.

He didn’t tell Amelia.

He didn’t tell Mia.

He simply left.

The coordinates led him beyond the eastern border of the human domain.

A deserted valley stretched between two mountain ranges.

There were no settlements.

No roads.

No travelers.

Only a massive field of stone surrounded by mountains.

Zero arrived just before sunset.

The sky was orange.

He stood in the center of the valley.

"Come out."

His voice echoed between the mountains.

Nothing.

Zero waited.

Then—

Footsteps.

Someone emerged from behind a large rock formation.

Zero’s expression immediately hardened.

Black hair.

Silver eyes.

The same face.

The same height.

The same presence.

The Earth version of Zero walked into the open.

He wore a simple dark coat and carried no visible weapon.

His expression was calm.

Almost peaceful.

That somehow made Zero more cautious.

"You came."

Zero stared at him.

"You’re behind the attacks."

The other Zero didn’t deny it.

"Yes."

The answer was so simple that Zero almost expected something else.

"Why?"

The other Zero continued walking until he was roughly twenty meters away.

"You already know why."

"I don’t."

"You’ve seen what happens when people are given the opportunity to destroy each other."

Zero’s eyes narrowed.

"This world isn’t Earth."

"No."

The Earth version looked toward the mountains.

"It’s worse."

Zero’s expression changed.

"What?"

"Edolas is built on conflict."

His voice remained calm.

"Humans fear devils. Devils fear humans. The Church fears losing its influence. The Authority fears losing control. The guilds compete for power. Kingdoms compete for resources."

He looked back at Zero.

"And you believe a treaty will suddenly change all of that."

"It doesn’t have to happen suddenly."

Zero stepped forward.

"Peace starts somewhere."

The other Zero smiled faintly.

"That’s what I used to believe."

Zero froze.

The Earth version continued.

"Then I learned."

"Learned what?"

"That peace doesn’t remove conflict."

He pointed toward Zero.

"It simply gives people time to prepare for the next one."

Zero’s eyes hardened.

"That’s not a reason to sabotage peace."

"It is when you’ve already seen the consequences."

"You’ve seen them on Earth."

"Yes."

"Then why bring those consequences here?"

The other Zero became silent.

For several seconds, the wind was the only sound between them.

Finally he answered.

"Because I’m correcting my mistakes."

Zero stared at him.

"What mistakes?"

The Earth version looked directly into his eyes.

"You."

Zero’s expression changed.

The other Zero continued.

"I made the mistake of believing that saving people meant protecting them from immediate danger."

He looked toward the horizon.

"I was wrong."

Zero shook his head.

"Whatever happened to you on Earth isn’t Edolas’s fault."

"I know."

"Then why are you punishing this world?"

"I’m not."

The other Zero’s expression remained strangely calm.

"I’m preventing you from making the same mistake."

Zero’s mana began gathering around him.

"You don’t get to decide that."

"I know."

The other Zero smiled.

"That’s why you’ll try to stop me."

Zero disappeared.

A burst of frost exploded across the valley.

He appeared directly in front of his counterpart.

His fist moved toward the other Zero’s chest.

The Earth version shifted his body slightly.

The punch missed.

Zero immediately followed with another strike.

The other Zero leaned backward.

Missed.

Zero spun and released a kick.

The Earth version stepped aside.

Missed.

Zero’s eyes sharpened.

He vanished again.

Ice blades appeared around him.

Dozens of frozen weapons shot toward the Earth version from every direction.

The other Zero simply moved.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Every attack passed beside him.

Zero’s expression became serious.

He increased his speed.

The valley exploded with movement.

Ice covered the ground.

Frost Wings appeared behind Zero as he launched himself into the air.

He descended like a falling comet.

The Earth version looked upward.

At the final moment, he moved.

Zero crashed into the ground.

The entire valley shook.

Dust rose.

Zero immediately stood.

The other Zero was already several meters behind him.

Not a scratch.

Zero stared at him.

"How?"

The Earth version said nothing.

Zero’s eyes narrowed.

He activated Ice Embodiment.

Cold spread across his body.

His mana intensified.

Then—

Dark energy appeared around him.

Shadow mixed with ice.

His Dual Art.

The temperature across the valley dropped dramatically.

The Earth version finally became serious.

"That’s impressive."

Zero didn’t answer.

He attacked again.

This time he used everything.

Frost Wings accelerated his movement while shadows concealed his position.

Ice blades emerged from every angle.

Dark energy distorted his presence.

He switched directions constantly.

Attack after attack.

The Earth version avoided everything.

He didn’t overpower Zero.

He didn’t block.

He simply moved.

Every time Zero thought he had found an opening, the other Zero was already somewhere else.

Zero swung his fist.

Missed.

Sword strike.

Missed.

Shadow attack.

Missed.

Ice spear.

Missed.

A concentrated blast of dark and frozen mana.

The Earth version stepped through the narrow space between two streams of energy.

Zero’s eyes widened.

He’s reading me.

The thought immediately entered his mind.

But that wasn’t all.

The other Zero wasn’t simply predicting his movements.

He seemed to know the attack before Zero fully committed to it.

Zero suddenly stopped.

The Earth version stopped as well.

They stood facing each other across the frozen valley.

Zero’s breathing had become heavier.

The other Zero wasn’t even breathing hard.

"You’re not fighting me."

The Earth version tilted his head.

"What?"

"You’re avoiding everything."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don’t need to defeat you."

Zero’s expression darkened.

"Then what do you want?"

"To show you something."

The Earth version raised his hand.

Zero immediately prepared himself.

But the other Zero didn’t attack.

Instead, the surrounding air changed.

The valley disappeared.

For a brief moment, Zero saw another world.

Earth.

He saw cities.

People.

Technology.

Then the vision shifted.

He saw conflict.

People arguing.

Governments collapsing.

Buildings burning in the distance.

Families separated.

Friends turning against one another.

Zero’s eyes widened.

The vision disappeared.

He found himself standing in the valley again.

The Earth version lowered his hand.

"You still think peace is enough."

Zero stared at him.

"And you think war is?"

"No."

"Then what?"

The Earth version’s expression became empty.

"I think people need to understand what they’re capable of before they can build something better."

Zero shook his head.

"You’re creating the very hatred you’re claiming to prevent."

"Maybe."

"You’re willing to sacrifice innocent people to prove your point."

"I don’t want anyone to die."

"Then stop."

The Earth version looked at him.

For the first time, something resembling sadness appeared in his eyes.

"I can’t."

Zero clenched his fist.

"Then I’ll stop you."

The Earth version nodded.

"I expected that."

Zero raised his hand.

A massive storm of ice and shadow began forming above the valley.

The Earth version simply stood there.

Zero looked at him one final time.

"I don’t care if you’re another version of me."

His eyes burned with determination.

"This world is my home."

The storm descended.

"Then protect it."

The Earth version disappeared.

The attack tore through the valley.

Mountains shook.

Ice covered the battlefield.

When the storm finally disappeared, Zero stood alone.

He slowly lowered his hand.

His eyes scanned the valley.

Nothing.

No body.

No blood.

No trace.

Then—

"You’re getting stronger."

Zero turned.

The Earth version stood behind him.

Zero’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t sensed him.

Not even slightly.

The other Zero walked past him.

"But you’re still not ready."

Zero immediately turned and attacked.

His fist stopped less than an inch from the other Zero’s face.

The Earth version had caught his wrist.

Zero tried to pull away.

He couldn’t.

He attacked with his other hand.

Caught again.

Zero attempted to use shadow movement.

The Earth version released him before the technique activated and stepped backward.

Zero stared at his hands.

The difference was overwhelming.

He had thrown everything he possessed at him.

Not once had he landed a single hit.

The Earth version hadn’t even needed to attack.

"Why can’t I hit you?"

The other Zero looked at him.

"Because you’re fighting me."

He paused.

"And I’m fighting the person you will become if you refuse to understand."

Zero remained silent.

The Earth version turned away.

"I’ll see you again."

"Wait."

He stopped.

"Where are you going?"

"To correct another mistake."

Zero’s eyes hardened.

"What mistake?"

The Earth version glanced over his shoulder.

"Your peace."

Then he vanished into the darkness.

Zero remained alone in the valley.

The wind moved through the frozen landscape.

He looked at the enormous destruction around him.

For the first time since becoming strong enough to challenge monsters, devils, and kings...

Zero felt powerless.

Not because his opponent was stronger.

But because his opponent knew him better than anyone else possibly could.

The Earth version knew every instinct.

Every hesitation.

Every technique.

Every decision.

Every weakness.

And somewhere beyond this valley,

he was already preparing his next move.

"You’re wrong."

His voice was quiet.

"But I’ll prove it."

He turned toward the capital.

The peace treaty was still alive.

And Zero intended to keep it that way.

No matter who stood against him.

Even if that person wore his own face.