-Hmm...Indeed it is true that you work awfully fast, although less fast than your successor. For such a complex machinery to be so far in its development in a single week is impressive.

Promestein stood there, inspecting the skeleton of my machinery while drinking a suspicious white liquid. Since that meeting with Lucia, my talks with Promestein became much tenser. I hoped with all of my SOUL that she wouldn't notice it.

-I also added the ability for the Machine to fuses light and dark magic into itself for power use, as you requested.

...Of course, her plans were to use this function to fuse both Determination and Chaos together. But for myself, it gave me a reliable power source to use in order to escape this place.

Although I still wanted to make sure of something before.

-So once this is over, I'll go back to my original timeline…?

She didn't even look me in the eyes, drinking while staring at my contraption instead.

-I'm afraid that this isn't possible, dear Gaster.

-Impossible? You managed to put me back together and bring me to this foreign multiverse. How can't you just bring me back?

-I most likely forgot to inform you, but I'm also surprised that you didn't realize by now.

As to visualize her thoughts, she summoned a few dozen glowing balls of light.

-You aren't just a single Gaster that we brought back. Since you were shattered through ALL of space-time, your existence wasn't limited to a single universe.

Showcasing this, I saw a vaguely humanoid figure shattered across all the balls of light in her hands.

-However, as you know, there is an infinite amount of universes. Your case certainly wasn't unique.

-It's...true, I haven't thought about this much. I didn't felt any presence beside my own when I was there.

-That's because there wasn't any. Other than the occasional being who could transcend space-time coming into existence, you weren't able to see anyone other than as static images in each universe.

Once again, humanoid figures shattered through all of the light orbs. The bits were more or less uniformly spread all over.

-So once that more like you suffered the same fate, your minds didn't stay separate. Instead, they fused into one.

The light show disappeared as she turned her gaze to me.

-You aren't a single being lost in another multiverse, Doctor Gaster. You are a gigantic amalgamation of an infinite amount of Gasters and of all the other beings who fell into an active CORE.

She managed to keep her completely emotionless and cold glare towards me as her words shattered my sense of self. A simple amalgamation, eh? Like those abominations created by my "successor"...

-Your memories and personality most likely do not match any of the timelines that lack their W.D. Gaster. Even then, there would be an infinite amount of timeline where you still do not exist. To put the nail in the metaphorical coffin, the fact that you stopped the anti-chaotization process midway makes your body way too unstable for yet another trans-multiversal transfer. So I cannot allow you to go back yet if that is what you were about to ask.

I was shaking, maybe fear, anger, or both. Either way, I had to control my emotions and not do something I'd regret.

-...Why do I only learn of this now?

-You never asked about this, and I didn't promise that you could go back normally to your timeline, just that I would help you free your kind. You will have to free your kind without being able to join them I'm afraid.

Despite trying to sound sorry, she walked away without a care.

-By the way, when do you except this project to be over? It's not like we are in lack of time, but I'd rather get to the main part of the project soon.

-Uh...Well...I-I should be done in… a week at most, but most likely five days.

I was very close to lashing out at her, but I knew better. I needed just a little more time. I had to endure this seemingly totalitarian system just a little more.

-I see. Well, I'll be leaving you to your affairs for now.

She finished her drink and immediately warped...somewhere. As long as it was far from my workplace, I didn't care. Although it did worry me how her steps didn't seem like they were limited by space and time. Was she like those beings with high determination, unbound by space-time? It's not like I had time to test this theory anyway and I really hoped I wouldn't be forced to.

From time to time, I heard what appeared to be fighting noises. However, as I wasn't informed of any attacks on the facility. I assumed them to be from the previously captured Apoptosis monster. She probably recovered from the seal and was attempting to break free. A tiny subconscious part of my mind wished that she would have succeeded.

Despite lacking any of my previous blueprints, I managed to rebuild my creation. I originally built it as a harbinger of hope for my kin. It could endlessly extract determination from our obtained SOULs. Even if we didn't exactly know what to do with it at the time, it would at least give us the impression that we were getting close.

Now that lizard girl tried to execute this idea of using Determination to make monster SOULs last and use them as a replacement for the 7th SOUL. But she was too foolish to save them. She stole my technology while barely knowing anything about it and immediately tested it on dozens of innocent monsters. Disgusting.

I only had to inform Promestein about it now. Lucia already knew it was completed and was waiting for Promestein to leave her laboratory, considering that's where she keeps the most important dose of Light and Dark magic. We doubted that Promestein would have attempted any experiment with the machinery so early on.

I stepped near the door of her main laboratory. It was my first time actively meeting her at her laboratory. While the door wasn't open, I could hear a conversation with someone. But it didn't sound like any of the scientists I met before, or a scientist at all for that matter. I didn't even detect a second SOUL with her.

-...I shall take care of that soon enough. We aren't in a hurry after all.

The second, mysterious voice answered on a somehow much more stern, cold and impatient voice.

-We're just wasting time by waiting. We have a lot of work to do.

-And I have a lot of work to do to make sure that nothing will go horribly wrong and blow up in our faces. Remember that I currently still have the power to put you in your place.

-You don't want me to get angry and starts gathering EXP with your alternate selves, don't you? I have slain much greater than those weaker you before.

-Hehehe… Those meaningless words won't affect me, demonic manchild.

These two last words finally made me realize something horrifying. A SOULless "demonic manchild". I had seen such being in my own multiverse. What was the Fallen Child doing here, with Promestein of all people?! This abstract devilish fiend had slain all of the timelines of my multiverse, multiples times. When it stopped, I thought it had left this world forever. But I wasn't excepting it here, a whole multiverse away from home.

-I will go and kill some timelines then. I'm sure a lot of them could use some cleaning.

I couldn't take it anymore. That was my mental limit. I had the devil in person a few meters away from me. All my inhibitions dropped to zero and my thirst for revenge skyrocketed.

With my left hand, I used my blue magic on the only SOUL of the area, pinning the owner to a wall. With my right hand, I summoned a Blaster to forcibly blast open the door.

-...Promestein…!

I wasn't fast enough, as the child had already fled the room. Only Promestein was left, who was kneeling due to the effect of my blue magic.

-Well well...Aren't you a little pushy? I would have come to your laboratory if you asked…

Despite the current situation, her speech and behavior were as cold and uncaring as always. this fact managed to make me even angrier.

-Why was that thing here? How did you know about it?!

-Haven't I already told you? I have observed your Multiverse for a long time. Such a character wouldn't have managed to go unnoticed by my team and me.

Still staring at me, the scientist casually got up despite my magic pulling her downward. It didn't seem to affect her at all.

-Admittedly, that sudden attack from you did catch me off guard. But that won't happen again.

-W-What? How?!

I was putting all of my magic on her soul. Her clothes and hair were wildly flailing towards the direction I was focusing my magic on. Yet she wasn't even budging, instead slowly approaching towards my direction.

-Anyway, my business with this demon child doesn't concern you in the slightest. Go back to your work if this is the reason you came here.

-Do you even know what they have done? Of course, you do…

-Means matters little, as long as they don't get in the way of the goal. I have the demon in check if they want to get in my way.

-Even if the goal is noble, if you're too Determined you may end up causing more harm than good when trying to achieve it… Which is why I'm going to stop this right here!

I summoned a couple of blasters around the room, all aimed at her. Despite the fact that I knew I stood no chance, I was also aware that she wouldn't attempt to kill me yet. She needed me.

-Relying on such barbaric methods so soon? Alright…

Her right hand was glowing. She was preparing an attack right on me, most likely the same that previously decimated that Apoptosis. Before she could fire up, I aimed all the blasters at her hand and fired.

Her whole body was covered with a huge blast and the surroundings filled with smoke. But surely, that wasn't enough to kill her. I quickly used blue magic on my SOUL, knocking me against the wall and out of the way of a potential attack. Indeed, a large flash of light flew right by me as soon as I hit the wall. Drops of sweat dripped down my skull just by imagining the damage I would have taken if that hit me.

-Mmph...You're more crafty in a fight than I thought. But…

With a finger snap, the ground started shaking. Something was coming toward me. Suddenly, a huge tentacle broke through the floor and smashed my body against the ceiling, breaking through it and sending me outside the facility.

-You're quite weak. It doesn't matter how smart you are if you can't apply it in a fight!

I once again used by blue magic in order to keep me from flying off too far. Promestein then flew out of the hole to meet me outside.

Despite the blow being visibly casual from her, some of my bones were cracked already.

-U-Ugh… That huge tentacle... Was that your true strength?

-Not even close. I don't want to kill you yet. Although I only need your mind. If I have to break your body, I will.

From her giant appendages, a bright light was accumulating. I couldn't afford to take a full power hit from that thing. Before I could come up with a way to escape...

-...Don't move!

...A sudden slice in space-time went right through Promestein's tentacle, dropping it to the ground and freeing me. Both of us turned towards the source of the attack.

-...Lucia...So even you turned against me, huh?

Lucia stood a few feet near us, her tentacles attached to the DT Extraction machine, the device still steaming off from its recent use.

-...Seems like you guessed it too late. Just a few seconds too late.

Behind us, the slice tore the space-time continuum of the multiverse. I could faintly see a familiar landscape through it.

-I see… It looks like you finished the machine already. And it's working wonderfully well.

Promestein's voice betrayed some degree of frustration at the current events despite the success of the experiment.

-However, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to take this away from you.

The scientist's tentacle regrew and charged towards the machine.

-I didn't come all the way here to deliver this thing to you, Promestein!

Lucia dashed right at the machine, all while dragging me with her tentacles. Both of us were tackled by Lucia right towards the gap in space-time. My vision faded as we were transported far away from Promestein's reaching appendage.