In the deep ends of space, a single boy journeys through the endless darkness. Clutched close to his chest is a small, circular device that he seemed to be holding onto for dear life. As he continued flying at incredible speeds, small wisps of light moved past him, trillions of them. Each one a galaxy. Rather, it was more like they were trying to catch up to him due to simply how fast he was going.

“Shit I’m still not fast enough..” He clicked his tongue, his free hand clenching into a fist. “There’s nothing to lose if they all die.. So here goes nothing.” He muttered to himself, a dim aura forming around the male before his body started shimmering rapidly, as if he were a mirage. “Nashi Yōsuru!” In under a trillionth of a second, he disappeared. He had not simply gone invisible, but his body, his mind, his soul, his very existence was gone. Not a single trace of it left within the infinite dimensions that made up the world.

On the planet of Fodderus, a figure concealed in a black cloak appeared out of thin air, panting heavily. He stood in front of a large gold and white building, supported by marble pillars. He pushed the door handle shaped like a large golden eagle, rushing through the various, crowded hallways into a room practically barricaded by guards. The room appeared to be the center of the building, and judging from the guards any number of important people had to be located there.

“Sir. Stop where you are. No one without proper credentials is allowed to enter.” Spoke the largest of the guards. He wore shades, alongside a black trench coat.

“You don’t understand! I have information on the attack! My name is Ace Blazhart! You need to let me in!” Shouted the cloaked boy, throwing off his hood to reveal brown hair and a set of blue eyes.

“Uh huh. Blazhart? Mr. Blazhart doesn’t have a child by the name of Ace. But, I’m sure you don’t mind waiting until after the meeting is done to present this.. ‘Important’ information.” Scoffed the guard, an eye roll practically guaranteed from underneath the glasses.

Ace gritted his teeth, a fury brewing in his eyes. Placing the small object he held into his pocket, he let out a small sigh. “I really don’t have time for this. Sorry, but it’s not like you’ll remember.” Vanishing from sight, Ace dashed past all of the guards, striking the back of their necks with his hand at the speed of light. Watching them all drop to the guard, the anger let his eyes, another sigh escaping his lips.

Throwing open the door that was previously guarded, he saw row after row of chairs spreading out around the practically house sized room. From the outside it didn’t appear as big, but within the confines of the room space was altered so that it would be large enough to hold everyone that entered. It could contain even a universe and it would be no bigger than a spec of dust if desired.

While there were multiple rows packed with people, the most important five people were located in the center on their own platform, sitting at a round table. There were shouts of anger and dismay from everyone within the rows, tensions incredibly high, but the group at the central table seemed to almost be ignoring everyone else. That was until Ace barged in. As if scripted, they all turned their attention to the boy. Some shot him nasty looks, others stared at him cluelessly, but the worst of them all was the older man who sat at the center of the round table.

“Ace? What are you doing here? I told the guards no one else was permitted in here.” He spoke, an irritated huff following his words. Shooting the brown haired boy a piercing glare he said, “Leave. This is no place for a child.”

“Wait, Father! Please! We need to go, all of us. We can’t stay here! This entire meeting, it’s about Jed is it not?” As he said those words, the room fell uneasily quiet, Ace’s father shifting in his seat and grumbling.

“Yes… It is.” Spoke another one of the members at the central table, a much younger male, almost childish.

“Joshua!”

“There’s no point in hiding it Isaac. If the boy has valuable information, we need to hear it. Or would you rather continue arguing in circles?” Cracking a smug smile, the child placed his feet upon the table, leaning back in his chair. “The floor is yours, Ace.”

Nodding, Ace slipped the device he had been holding onto out of his pocket, tossing it onto the table. A holographic image appeared, large enough for all one hundred people within the room to see. But rather than a mere still image it was a video, clear as day, of a shadow covered monster with three heads and a reptilian tail attacking a planet. To call it a battle would be wrong, it was a simple slaughter. Everyone present knew that if the monster so wished, it could have merely destroyed the planet with a single strike. No, the entire star system the planet was located in. But the three headed beast toyed with the inhabitants of the planet, taking it slow and destroying each city, one at a time.

After the video was finished, each of the diplomats present had lost all color in their face, a hard gulp from Isaac being the only to break the deafening silence.

“That thing… It couldn’t be one of Jed’s horde could it?” He said, his voice visibly shaken and afraid. Nonetheless, Ace nodded slowly.

“I’m afraid it’s true… And that’s but one of the billions in Jed’s corrupted army… We cannot fight them, father. You have to understand. We must flee! Before it’s too late!” He urged as the slammed his fist against the wall next to him. “That was only a mere hundred thousand light years away if I’m generous. Assuming he doesn’t head straight here.. He would still reach us within a day!”

“A day? You underestimate me, child.” Said a voice that came from all directions, cold enough to send shivers down everyone’s spine.

“No.. No no no…” Isaac said rapidly, slowly tilting his head upwards. Above, the ceiling of the spatially distorted room cracked. Further and further, until it shattered, marble raining down. Though that was not an issue due to the protective barriers of each person in the room. But was worrying was the red sky above them, as opposed to the usual blue sky’s of Fodderus.

That was until they had realized it wasn’t the sky. It was something that shrouded the planet. Almost like a veil. As if to confirm their realization, a grin formed within the red veil. “Hello everyone. I do hope you’ve said goodbye to everyone you love.” A chilling laugh sounded everywhere.

“Jed.. The shapeless parasite.” Mumbled Ace as he stared upwards, his expression blank, as if he still had not understood the gravity of the situation.

“Not yet you bastard! Everyone, focus your power! Even if you extinguish your light, it will have been in the name of killing this monster!” Shouted Isaac to everyone in the room. After a moment of worry and consideration, each member in each row stood up. One after the other.

All Ace could do was watch as everyone fought with all they had. Abilities containing the force of a Big Bang, those that created universe destroying black holes, those that could destroy every higher and lower dimension, those that could annihilate the entirety of space and time. Left and right, the Warriors died putting their all into these attacks.

Yet, as if a cruel joke, none of this had an effect. Not even a single scratch was visible on the parasite.

“That was quite the show. But now it’s my turn.” The cackling laughter continued, becoming more and more distorted with every second despite the grin no longer visible in the red sky. Small purple orbs began concentrating into a single point, directly above the planet. Then, when it was large enough to dwarf the planet, it suddenly opened up, beginning to pull in everything towards it.

Isaac panted heavily, only him and ten other people in the room remained alive, including Ace. He was far too weakened to even properly escape, but he wouldn’t let his son die. Turning quickly, he grabbed the brown haired boy’s wrist, exclaiming a quick chant, “Gulag Protection!” A mark was burned onto the wrist of the boy, a K.

Giving a weak smile, Isaac fell to his knee, coughing up blood. “My time.. Is over, my child… You must continue living.”

“D-Dad? Come on! Quit this! We can still get out!” Ace shouted as he reached out for his father, who then promptly pushed away his hand.

“Look at me.. I’m dying… I wouldn’t last… I wish I could have seen you grow older.. Goodbye, Ace..” Collapsing to the floor, Isaac’s eyes went dull.

“Aww. Poor kid, hah. Don’t worry. He would have forgotten you existed, anyway. Such is your curse.” With one final sadistic laugh, everything was assimilated into the orb of energy, functioning as a black hole.

The planet of Fodderus, was no more. Just as the universe was no more. But the assimilation did not stop there. He absorbed every dimension. He absorbed every concept that functioned within this world. The Parasite, had won.

Or, so he had thought.