The Thousandth Year Revival

With flawless agility, Sento somersaulted in his mid-charge, and after slamming to the ground with immeasurable force, a shock wave seared throughout the 'bookstore' for several miles.

If this was not a warning enough, as the dust settled and gave away to his formidable figure, he had already brandished his supernatural firearm of choice: Beloved. The aim that was focused on the target's forehead faltered immediately once he saw the person's features.

It was a boy, no older than twelve or thirteen.

It was a boy that was nearly a split image of him.

"…"

The boy still wouldn't say a word to him, nor would he give an inch to the door he'd sworn to protect.

"Who… are you?"

It was the same question Battler was fond of asking him, ironically enough. "….." The boy glared at him with the identical steel-blue eyes that the man in front blinked with in confusion. Something about this entire situation was definitely wrong; it wasn't the fact that the memories were being guarded (it happens often really) or even that the guard looked like him. It was the actuality that 'this person' did not look like Battler; that should be the case when a set of memories are guarded, it reflects the person and not someone else.

/I'll try to talk with him then…/

"How long have you been here?" Sento asked while tucking his gun away. "… Ever since I was born…" The young teen seemed less threatened and began to reply. "And how long ago was that?" The young clone seemed baffled by this question. "I've stopped counting by now… because I forgot how…" /This kid is pretty odd…/

"Are you waiting for Battler to return?"

At the sound of that name, the boy's interest was obviously piqued. "Ye... Yeah! Do you know when he's coming back? If he returns, then I won't have to be here any longer! I think he'll be very happy! I know I will; if only I could see him for a minute even…" /Why should he be happy to see such a memory? Isn't that a little backwards… if it's a happy memory, it shouldn't be guarded…/

"Would you believe it if I told you that Battler sent me?"

The young boy seemed to consider of he would believe. "Is Battler in trouble?" Sento nodded his head. "He's in a lot. But you can help him by letting me through that door. I want to help him remember so that he could make someone very happy." He held out his hand as if to ask the boy for a truce. "Since we are working together, would you please tell me your name?"

The younger of the two decided in his heart that Sento was no longer a threat, and smiled amiably as he grasped his hand with Sento's.

"My name is—hey? Are you alright? W-What's wrong?"

The moment their hands met, Sento's eyes, which were livid up until that point lost, every bit of light in them and resembled Rokkenjima's sky as the typhoon grew near. He collapsed on the floor as though a person had snapped the strings of a marionette. The boy in front of his sprawled body didn't even have a chance to display horror over his features; springing out of his own stomach, was a swarm of golden butterflies.

The original number of butterflies began to divide at an incomprehensible speed; by the time the teen's body was eaten away, the number of golden specks in the atmosphere was beyond a digit known to man.

After swirling in the air for a few seconds, the beautiful mist began to outline the silhouette of a woman; and in an even less time span, Beatrice stood solemnly by Sento's side.

She knelt to his sprawled body and adjusted him so he was on his back. She carefully shifted the strands of hair from his pained face; it appeared as though he was in a nightmare. But when Beatrice set a hand that illuminated a warm light against his forehead, Sento's expression softened.

"Thank you… So very much for everything… Your efforts will not go in vain."

Her ocean eyes began to release a sea of tears for the man in front of her; it was because of him, that the barrier from the truth was broken. She lamented for him; it was because the method on how he obtained such power in the first place.

To become the Savior of Memories, Sento sacrificed every memory he had before that point in time.

Every memory of pain was wiped from his mind.

And every memory of happiness was surrendered to the darkness as well.

But because it was this man, Beatrice couldn't find the will to stop her tears; because it was Sento, this was especially tragic. That boy, Battler, he wasn't the only one who needed to know the truth.

It was the man in front of her; and she knew the demon inside of him was there as well.