Even the dual samurai swordsman was slightly taken aback as soon as Kahn called him ‘Sensei’.
It was the first time Kahn hadn’t even addressed him as anything else other than an Instructor up until this point. But out of nowhere, Kahn calling him his Master even befuddled the samurai saint.
In a way, it was like Kahn finally accepting his teachings as a proper disciple, not as someone forced to learn from him because of a prior arrangement between them out of necessity.
Now, even Miyamoto Musashi showed an expression of contentment and pride.
[This brat… I’m not proud of his achievements because he’s from Earth just like me.
But even among many generations of my descendants I’ve taught before after they proved their worth… He was leagues ahead.
They were bound to the versions of reality and their perspective of our world. It was always one of the biggest hurdles that stopped their growth.
Even the most talented among them could never go past the 3rd enlightenment despite directly learning from me… Yet, not only did he reach that milestone on his own without a proper mentor, but also absorbed all the knowledge and experience I imparted to him like a scholar’s endless thirst for secrets of the unknown.
I only guided his path, but he walked and reached the destination by himself.] thought the samurai saint.
Meanwhile, Kahn had thoughts of his own.
[With this… I can finally start and apply the knowledge and experience that the Elder Dragon of Cosmos, Saalazaar imparted to me before they both ceased to exist.] thought Kahn.
He already received a lot of guidance, and theories and learned of a few methods that the Elder Dragon of Cosmos told him when he met the Future Kahn during the Conclave of Heroes.
However, the problem was that Kahn was incapable of applying and trying even a single one of them because he had yet to achieve the 4th Enlightenment in Space Law on his own.
Now that he finally achieved it thanks to the 6th Hero of Space, Miyamoto Musashi; who himself, had spent centuries studying the Space Law, it was an open path for him.
Finally, he could use the knowledge and training methods imparted by the Elder Dragon of Cosmos who spent thousands of years to achieve the 5th Enlightenment and even came back in time with the original Kahn just so he could help him achieve it ahead of time.
[I have had a ton of help in this timeline.
Original Kahn, Elder Dragon Saalazaar, God of Darkness, and Kravel created a completely new path for me.
And then there was the old man Rathnaar, master Throk, master Romulus, mentor Vildred, and now, master Musashi… every single one of them has affected my accomplishment, my skills, my training, and the powers I have achieved at this moment.
Even with all my divine abilities or even with my eidetic memories… I would not have come even close to half of it if it weren’t for them.
All this effort, all this planning… just so I could kill the Demon God.] he thought to himself.
There was so much at stake that many people from different timelines, a Deity and even a Gods arranged so many things for Kahn just so he could stop the world from ending.
“Talk about a massive plot armor…” he spoke and chuckled.
Kahn did not achieve his strength solely because everything was planned for him from the beginning. He too had a lion’s share in it because of his hardwork and his willingness to never give up.
But he felt no shame in admitting that he would not be as whole as he is now if not for all of these monumental and powerful figures.
If anything, it was now his duty to embrace his role as the Hero of Darkness and see through this war with the Demon God till the very end.
Otherwise, he would bring great shame to not only those who forged his destiny but also himself as a man.
“Maybe this is it…
I always took it as if it were some great burden because I was forced into becoming the Hero of Darkness and sent into this world.
I understand what the original Kahn, the Martial Emperor said to me that day.” spoke Kahn as if a great revelation similar to an oracle dawned on Kahn.
‘The true measure of a man isn’t what he reveals to the world…
But what he hides from it.’
Those were the words the original Kahn said to him. He did not understand them back then but now the meaning dawned on him.
On the surface, Kahn was only playing the role of Hero of Darkness, creating business empires, learning skills, and increasing his strength so that he could survive.
But in the end, all of it was only self-preservation. What other or greater goal did he have than simply surviving or protecting what was his?
Up until now, his role as the Hero of Darkness was only a burden on him.
But for the first time, he embraced it and from the bottom of his heart, he strived to shoulder all the responsibilities that came with it.
No longer Kahn was a man whose fate and choices were controlled by others whether it was the original Kahn, Saalazaar, or God of Darkness.
Shine!
Suddenly, a bright light shone in the sky of Kahn’s world. And for the first time, it was no longer an empty barren land as a Sun was created, signifying Kahn’s acceptance of himself.
It also stood for the glimmer of Hope and Clarity he just received.
“I see it now. What I am today and how I became what I am… all these people who sacrificed so much for me, imparted their teachings and knowledge to me…
It wasn’t their selfishness or their own motives that forced it upon me. It’s something I was always meant to do. Saving this world…” said Kahn as he finally embraced his goal and responsibility as the Hero of Darkness.
“Is the true purpose of my life.” Shing!
Humm!!
But right then… the world around Kahn started changing and before he could react… he was pulled into a completely different universe where millions of planets existed close to each other.
“The time for us to meet has finally come, Hero of Darkness.
My name is…” he heard an otherworldly voice.
However, Kahn was shocked to his core as he could see that all these millions of planets, in all of their collectivity… created a silhouette of a living being.
“Raum, the God of Space.”