Supremacy Games

1957  Me, and You, Against The Universe.

After the narration concluded, the ten SGRulers were left staring at each other with mixed emotions.

"This is far worse than the torture he had gone through under the three celestials." The Dwarven Emperor shook his head, "It's going to take a long while before he can recover from this if it was even possible."

The other rulers nodded in support, understanding that once Felix woke up and his memories merged up, he would realize that it would be near impossible to repeat the same strategy.

How could he ever dare to merge his soul with another entity after he lived a whole life spanning hundreds of thousands of years with a soul brother and still got backstabbed?

This made it clear that those celestials must not be trusted at all costs, whether the old guards or the new ones.

"Celestials don't have an ounce of loyalty when their interest is touched upon." Elder Dragon said coldly, "If the human wants to continue with the trial, he must give up on this plan."

"That's a shame...It seemed like this plan had the most chance of succeeding, he only needed to iron out the later parts." The Witch Empire Queen sighed in disappointment.

Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing that Felix had already solved the hardest part of the puzzle...Now, all he needed to do was to stick to the same strategy and keep perfecting it after each failure.

But, he was no idiot to put himself in a position to be backstabbed again...

Meanwhile, Empress Emily quietly listened to their conversation, her brain working on overdrive to find a solution to this dilemma before Felix woke up.

She knew that if Felix were to restart all over again, this might break him, no matter how tough he tried to show himself...

"After a thorough analysis, it seems like the solution to such a problem is to find an entity that won't betray him." Empress Emily said calmly.

"Huh, that's easier said than done." Dwarven Emperor snickered, "You're excused, I know your race has no concept of betrayal, loyalty, love, hate, or such emotions."

"..."

Empress Emily remained silent, knowing that he was correct, and didn't feel offended at all. But, if there was one thing the metal race was good at, they desired to seek knowledge all the time...Emotions were one of those concepts they struggled to understand.

19:45

"Dismissed."

Empress Emily was the first to exit the gathering as she went to visit Felix in his UVR's mansion.

As she saw him lying there with a peaceful expression, she couldn't help but extend her palm and carcass his cheek.

"Our universe's fate laid in the hands of this fragile lifeform...Watching him live, struggle, laugh, die, live again, struggle, die, again, again, and again...Yet, here he is, wounded beyond anyone's comprehension, but no one's there to feel his pain." She said softly.

"I want to feel your pain, your sadness, your happiness, your betrayal...I want to experience what you are going through, I want to understand why our Supreme placed the universe's fate in your hand...That's the only way for me to help you..."

As she said this, Empress Emily closed her eyes and created a virtual world, where she lived the same scenarios as Felix, not as a metal lifeform, but as a human with emotions...

In a few moments, which lasted for eternity in her virtual universe, Empress Emily pulled away, her eyes flickering continuously like her system was absolutely overloaded!

For the Empress of the Metal Race, this was the same as overpowering a Dragon in strength!

'Unbelievable, such raw emotions, how can these puny lifeforms handle living like this? Living at the whims of their emotions, knowing that even if one prided himself on absolute control, he is merely lying to himself..."

She wasn't specifically talking about humans, but she knew that humans were one of the most emotional races in the universe as their desires and virtues completely guided their life.

"One lived a slave to his lust, while one cherished his charity, seeking only true love."

"One lived like a pig, eating black and green, while another understood that moderation was the key to a happy life."

She sighed as she added, "One has nothing going in his life but to envy others while another was happiest when his loved ones achieved great things."

"Such creatures have their lives destined based from birth as they could do nothing but soak in the emotions of those around them. Whatever run rampage in their biome would mold and shape them, making it extremely difficult to change later on..."

"I always wondered how such creatures survived so long, persisting akin to unkillable cockroaches in all possible universes...But now, I know..."

"It's not their adaptivity, it's not their survival skills, it's not their persistence and pride in their race..." She smiled as she eyed Felix, "It's love..."

Love.

A single word made out of four letters, but a sentiment desired by all lifeforms, especially humans, who were made out of a concoction of emotions.

"What binds one soul to another so completely," She murmured, "That betrayal becomes an impossibility?"

"Trust? No, it's too fragile. Trust can break, and loyalty can waver."

"Fear? No, too unstable. Fear breeds resentment, not devotion."

"The solution to this formula is true love..." She whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "It's the only force strong enough to bind, to heal, and to endure every trial."

But then, a soft smile graced her lips, though it was tinged with a hint of sorrow?

"But love..." She said to herself, "Is also the most fragile thing of all. If it fails to guard against betrayal, one's heart shatters completely..."

After experiencing Felix's life and going through the betrayal personally by Zion, she understood that Felix's heart was absolutely in pieces...

He had given it to someone he considered his brother, his family, the only person he could trust completely after his late grandfather...This was the reason the pain of the betrayal was x100 compared to any other betrayal.

"His plan failed, not because of lack of preparation, not because of his trusting nature, no..." Empress Emily smiled sorrowfully, "He has given his heart to the wrong person, which means...Hope still exists."

Empress Emily turned her back and murmured as she was leaving, "I hope you forgive me for what I am about to do, but it's the only way to save the universe..."

In Empress Emily's eyes, Felix was the only true candidate for the replacement as Emilia would never become one with her personality...It took more than being a psychopath to become the new Supreme.

***

A month later...

Felix slowly opened his bleary eyes to see the foggy image of his wife's face, sleeping on his chest. He squinted as he stood up, looking around him in confusion.

"What am I doing in my mansion's bedroom," Felix murmured softly, realizing that he was sleeping in his real-life house.

Sensing his movements, Asna woke up too, her condition wasn't in the best shape like she hadn't left the bedroom once.

"Felix...Felix, you are awake!" She jolted awake instantly as she saw Felix's gentle smile.

"I am sorry for making you worry, but what am I doing..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Asna threw herself in his arms while weeping nonstop. He dropped his question and gently hugged her, knowing that she must have missed him as much as he had missed her.

But, as he was hugging her, Asna kept mumbling between her cries, "I am sorry, I didn't know, I am sorry..."

Felix's expression immediately changed for the worse, realizing that Asna had found out about his secret.

'How? How did she know, did I speak in my dreams? How come I can remember only vague memories of what happened in the last universe?' Felix's mind flooded with questions...He didn't hesitate to target them to Queen Ai.

However, before Queen Ai was about to answer, Empress Emily suddenly manifested in a holographic form before him and Asna.

"Excuse my intrusion." She said politely.

Asna immediately wiped her tears away and welcomed her with a warm smile, "Please, the pleasure is ours."

Seeing the polite interaction between them, the dots instantly clicked in Felix's mind.

Felix wanted to bellow at her furiously, but he kept his emotions under control, a trait, he was mastering bit by bit through his struggles.

Then, he merely asked her with a deadpan expression, "Why?"

He knew that it was impossible for such an intelligent being to blabber about their mission on her own without having a very, very good reason.

After all, she had intruded upon the sanctuary of his family, the only thing he refused to let anyone or anything compromise it.

"My apologies, but it had to be done...It was the only way to move forward."

Empress Emily apologized sincerely, making Felix notice that her face was more expressive than he was used to.

"Is it related to my missing memories?" Felix questioned calmly.

"Yes."

"I don't know what you do, but I genuinely hope your intentions of telling my wife isn't to include her in the trial."

Felix narrowed his eyes coldly, releasing a powerful murderous intent that froze Asna instantly in her place...Then, he repeated, "I genuinely, genuinely don't..."

Asna tried her best to speak but found it almost impossible to do so. It was like the words were too frightened to come out due to Felix's murderous aura, even when it wasn't directed at her.

On the other hand, the target of the murderous aura felt nothing...In this universe, Felix was still nothing but a fragile human without a cultivation system.

"I believe you are ready to accept your memories."

Empress Emily didn't answer him, wanting him to see her vision for herself. Felix got rid of his murderous aura and Asna was finally able to speak again.

"Felix..."

"Asna, please."

Felix smiled gently and gave her a quick kiss before entering the UVR, having no interest in viewing his memories next to her...He was certain it was something heavy for Empress Emily to react like this.

After entering the UVR, Asna turned to look at Empress Emily, tears still welling up in her eyes, and asked, "Is he going to be alright? The things you showed me, the betrayal he went through under that bastard...I know my husband, he values loyalty above all else and this will certainly cause heavy damage."

"I should be there with him."

"Don't worry, I have devised a way to limit the trauma."

Empress Emily was able to completely manipulate one's memories the moment they were linked up to the UVR.

This was one of her most potent weapons, but fortunately, she never abused it only when the situation called for it.

Meanwhile, Felix found himself being fed memories sliced up and jumbled, starting with Zion's betrayal...Without any context, his backstabbing made Felix feel nothing but curiosity.

However, as the rest of the memories started flooding in, even jumbled, he couldn't help but feel his heart tighten in pain.

When the memories finished, Felix remained sitting in silence for a couple of minutes, processing everything at once.

The life he had, the brotherhood, the journey, the battles, the achievements, the successes, and the failures...There was so much to be unpacked that he could only sit there in silence.

But, there was one thing certain, if Empress Emily hadn't intervened and changed the order of his memories, he would have felt the hit tenfold like it had happened again!

So, he was quite appreciative of this gesture, though, it still didn't make him forgive her for interfering with his family...Especially, when he realized her goal of telling Asna about the mission.

"You are willing to go this far? Adding an innocent life to a cruel journey? After seeing everything that happened to me? After seeing everything that happened to Zion?" Felix smiled bitterly, "I knew you were heartless, but I always thought there was a limit."

Empress Emily showed herself immediately, her expression was quite unreadable.

"First, I always have a limit, but when it comes to the universe's survival, there is no such thing as a limit." Empress Emily said calmly, "I am not doing this because I was tasked by Supreme Azzorus...I genuinely want our universe to survive and thrive."

"If this meant including your wife in the mission, I apologize, but I will do it every time."

Just as Felix wanted to respond, she added with a gentle smile, "It seems you have forgotten your original identity...Weren't you also just an innocent businessman with a happy cozy little family? Yet, you were chosen to become the universe's consciousness. Look at what you have achieved."

"So, don't use innocence as an excuse as you have no idea what your wife is truly capable of if she was given a similar chance." She concluded calmly, "She might even surpass you."

Felix thought about what she said for a few moments, knowing that she was right, he had fallen for Asna, not because of her beauty, her elegance, her kindness, or any of her other graceful qualities.

He fell for her the moment he saw her inability to turn an eye against injustice, her stubbornness to fight for what she believed in and loved, and her strength to accept her mistakes and be accountable for them.

She was simply a refined and dignified woman through and through, someone he knew would stand up by his side regardless if he ended up in a ditch or under a bridge.

That was his wife, that was the love of his life, the mother of his child, and the single best thing that had ever happened to him in all of the lives he had experienced.

Because of those qualities, Felix couldn't help but shake his head in rejection.

"I would rather drop dead than make my wife join me in this merciless mission." He uttered without a change of expression.

"If that's how you feel, then tell it to your wife." Empress Emily shook her head, "She already knows everything. I am not the one needing to be convinced."

Just as Felix felt his anger take the best of him, wanting to curse Empress Emily to oblivion, Asna's voice resounded from behind him, filled with devotion.

"Love, you said you would drop dead before allowing me to help you, but you don't understand..." As she stood before him, she held his hand and added with a cold look, "I will beat you myself if you think I will allow you to continue this without me by your side."

"Dear..."

"Don't dear me, don't think I haven't seen glimpses of what you were doing with girls in the other universes." Asna locked eyes with him while her hand clutched into his crotch, "If I didn't know you had no recollections of me or this life, you would be already on the ground."

"So, if you want to continue with the trials, I am gonna be by your side at all times by merging with your soul. I am certain even without our memories, I know we are going to fall in devotion and push each other to the finish line."

"So, are we in this together or not?"

As she uttered the last word, she tightened her grip until Felix froze in his place, face turning blue.

"But...Niko...argh."

She tightened again while pushing closer to his face, making him observe her resolve to join him no matter what.

"Niko will stay with my father and will be nurtured by Lelia. Empress Emily told me that she can erase most of the bad recollections from other universes, so no matter what I went through, it won't affect me here and I can care for him between each attempt."

"Arghh...It's not that I don't want you to join, but I doubt the seven celestial hearts will allow it..." Felix concluded with great difficulty, knowing that his balls were no longer at his mercy.

"Tsk, I know you know Empress Emily has checked with the seven celestials before contacting me, stop making excuses." Asna tightened her grasp more, her vicious hidden persona was coming out more and more.

"I...I can't...breathe..."

"Approve it."

"I...can't...breathe.."

"Approve it."

"Ok...okay, okay...let them go..."

Knowing that his wife was a stubborn bull, Felix could only agree at last after realizing that Empress Emily had contemplated of everything to protect his wife.

The moment he agreed, Asna dropped her coldness immediately while letting go of Felix's precious jewels.

She swiftly hugged him tightly with a happy grin and murmured near his ears, "Me and you, against the world, remember darling...Me and you."

"I remember...I just don't want you to suffer my love." Felix sighed helplessly.

"A life without you is true suffering and if I all