A/N: So… uh… hi. I'm back. I have early college classes, so… but here I am.

Izuku Midoriya:

Level: 6

Strength: 6

Vitality: 6

Agility: 6

Intelligence: 6

Sense: 6

[Mana: 1,000,000/1,000,000]

[HP: 200,120/200,120]

[Shadows saved: 3,124,695]

Izuku hummed, staring at the System screen. "Why can't I see my memories? What happened?"

As he was lost in thought, a small, round, and bouncy sky blue ball sped towards Izuku, seemingly hoping to catch him off guard. And yet, while mumbling, his fist punched through the body of the ball, grabbing the core, and promptly crushing it between his fingers. Dozens upon dozens of these monsters attacked him, but he always killed them in the same manner.

Mania stood on the side, watching with slight awe, somewhat amazed by his ability to be so out of it, while being able to kill everything trying to harm his body.

"Is… Is this what he was like before becoming a primordial? Or did he gain this ability when he evolved?"

"Hey, Mania? Do you think that my fight with Antares messed with my head, and that's why I don't remember anything?"

Mania hummed to herself, thinking about the answer to the question.

"Certainly, it is possible, but I would not agree with that conclusion fully. There is also the fact that you happened to be… what is the word… born, for lack of a better term, in the void. If what you say is true, and you have been reincarnated into a primordial, then you may have lost some memories in the soul transfer from body to body."

Izuku sat down, surrounded in sticky slime and the core powder. "How… soul… would that be the same as a conscience?"

"...Yes and no. The soul gives the ability to be aware and self thinking, also being conscious, but it also give you the ability to live for as long as the soul is around." Clearing a small area next to Izuku, Mania sat down, tucking the black, long, and flowy gown she wore under her. "Every animal and insect has a consciousness. It's only certain species, which even we primordials do not know, that eventually gain souls. We do not know when it truly started, but evolving species have been gaining souls for eons. We do not know why it happens, or how, but it occurs. It would be, in your world's terms, supernatural."

"So, humans, and other alien species, gain a soul after millions upon millions of years of evolution? Why?"

Mania only shrugged, also just as lost.

"I do not know. I daresay even the Absolute Being himself doesn't know. As long as humans do not gain the ability to be immortal, I do not care. As long as there is death, I become stronger. I also do not starve."

"I guess the path of evolution would be in your favor, huh?"

"If there is death, everything is in my favor." With a calm yet terrifying smile, the true God of Death sighed. "This is… relatively peaceful for a dungeon, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's strange, right? Normally, things would be coming to kill us every second… well, everything about this Gate is strange, though."

Inside the Gate was relatively calm, aside from the fact that hordes of slimes randomly decide to attack. Even with being in the Gate for less than an hour, they haven't faced any other monsters, much less any sentient life.

Earlier, when he had flown up to scan the terrain, what he saw was something out of a fairy tale story: floating islands. Every single island was connected to another with thick vines, stretching from island to island, giving the impression of a web-like structure.

These floating archipelagoes were dotted within the forest, vines and tree roots reaching to the ground, giving the appearance of a natural anchor. Some also had the same unknown liquid, rivers flowing into the open air. The sun's rays hit the mist from the falls, creating a rainbow in the clear blue sky. Magnificent mountains, rising taller than what looked possible, climb into the atmosphere, the peaks covered with pure white snow and rings of clouds.

"It is, isn't it? It feels strange, like that Gate was, in reality, a portal to another world…" Izuku heard another softer, quieter sigh, hints of melancholy flowing through that burst of air.

"Right now, that kind of thinking would be mere conjecture. We do not fully know the nature of the Gate." Mania stood up, lightly dusting herself off. "With that in mind, shall we proceed?"

"Yeah, let's do that…" Once again, Izuku became lost in thought, but worry permeated his face.

Cautiously, Mania asked, "Is something the matter? You seem worried."

"Oh, I was just wondering whether it was good to add these slimes to my army… By the way, are there any other True Primordials awake, at the moment?"

"None that I can think of, or feel. Their energy is dormant, and the danger of them waking is low. Unless something expels the Being's poison from the true bodies, they will sleep for more than a god cares."

Izuku only sighed, happy that the possibility of him fighting the True Primordials was low. On the other hand, he was slightly disappointed, as he wants to meet the others.

Looking around, his eyes spotted a horned rabbit, the name, white, floating above the head. It looked… injured.

T-ring

It was the System, notifying him of a new quest he just received. It seems locating the rabbit triggered a quest.

[New Quest (Side): Another way to Use Mana]

[Quest (Side): Learn how to project mana in different ways.]

Quest Completion Requirements

Learn how to attack, defend, and heal using Mana

[Completion rewards]

1. +20,000 max Mana

2. 1 recovery elixir

3. Hidden Reward

"I got a new quest… to learn… magic?"

Somewhere within the same Gate:

"Nakir… where are we?"

All around the Gate raid battalion was a vast, open plain, tall grass calmly waving in the soft wind. It seems like midnight, as the world was almost pitch black, save for the glowing armour Momo had equipped, along with the natural glow of the stars.

"I do not know, My Lady. I, too, am unfamiliar with this place. Throughout all my travels, I have never seen a place like this."

This worried Momo, as her Grand-Marshal does not recognise this landscape.

"Shall we set up camp here? It is already night time, though we have not trekked that far."

"...Yes, have everyone set up. Make sure to have those solar recharge lights up, as well."

"Yes, My Lady." Nakir bowed, swiftly moving to relay orders.

"Where are we? This is too peaceful… no, don't jinx it Momo!"

As the lights were set up, she saw that the grass they were standing on was a lighter shade of blue. She could see the whiter part of the roots, where the blade meets the earth. On some, a yellow, string-like, what was presumed to be, flower grew at the top, some strands floating away in the wind like a dandelion seed. This Gate seemed to be calm, peaceful, serene. But it felt too calm.

"Well I'd say this is a nice night, isn't it?"

Momo could only laugh as her rabbit-eared lover wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Well, I don't know about that. Anything could attack at any moment, you know?"

Rumi only snorted, kissing Momo's cheek. "I wouldn't jinx it. Do you think that lowly of me?"

Leaning into the hug from behind, Momo asked, "What gave you that impression?"

"Well, the way you worded it made it sound like you didn't like me or something."

Momo let out a small chuckle, amused by Rumi's joking.

"I could stand here all night with you. Though, I kinda wish Izuku were here, too."

Rumi smiled, her perfect white teeth appeared to glow in the soft moonlight.

"Can't say I disagree with you. I can't help but wonder, what is he doing right now, wherever he is?"

With Izuku:

Sneeze

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, probably just some pollen that got in my nose."

Back with Momo:

"I'm sure he's fine. I mean, he's Izuku. He'll be fine no matter where he goes.."

"You're right. I'm probably just worried for nothing."

"I wouldn't say "for nothing," but… hey, it's fine to worry. It's healthy… at least, that's what I heard."

The former rabbit hero laughed, resting her head on Momo's shoulder.

"...Is it just me, or is something burning?"

They both sniffed the air, the scent of something burning filling their noses.

"What is that?"

Looking around, multiple plumes of dark, black smoke drifted into the sky. If they focused, they could hear human-sounding screams, and child-like cries of pure fear and sadness.

Rumi let go of Momo, muscles tensing, ready for a fight.

"That isn't the camp, right?"

"That's not. It's something else..."

Momo's eyes widen, a fearful thought entering her mind. "Rumi, if that isn't the camp, then who's screaming?"

Without another word, both run off, Rumi in the direction of the smoke, and Momo, to the tents, to alert the heroes.

"NAKIR! Something is burning! Alert all heroes and Shadows! Saphira, go extinguish the fires! Rumi should already-"

A resounding boom echoed across the forest, followed by a loud, prideful roar-like call. A pillar of orange and red flames towered into the sky, bathing acres of forest and plains in light.

Another boom reverberated, and the pillar abruptly ended, darkness washing over once more.

Momo recognised that roar, as she heard it multiple times during her adventures with her thought-to-be-deceased lover. One that all the scaled, reptilian giants screamed after a victory against a foe. One that further worried her.

The call of a Dragon. And a large one, at that.