UNKILLABLE IN ISEKAI: THE LAST

Chapter 3: Secrets and Shadows

The next day, Yoshi Kazuhiro visited Joseph's chamber, eager to converse after the kingdom's scholars and mages had finished their studies for the day. Joseph, upon seeing Yoshi, felt a sense of relief wash over him. Finally, a break from the constant probing of the intellectuals.

“Well, well,” Joseph teased, a smirk playing on his lips. “What an honor it is to receive a royal visit... Your Highness.” He added a mock bow, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm. “Or perhaps I should say 'Your Highness' Prince? Or have you not yet earned the crown?”

Yoshi raised an eyebrow, amused. “Impressive, Joseph. You've finally figured it out.”

“I've had the pleasure of being partially enlightened by your delightful scholars and mages,” Joseph replied, stretching lazily before sitting on the edge of his bed. “They were kind enough to give me a small glimpse of your kingdom’s grandeur.”

Yoshi chuckled, his eyes sparkling with humor. “Prince, not king,” he corrected as he sat down just outside the chamber, facing Joseph. “My brother is the one next in line for the throne.”

“That sounds about right for a royal family,” Joseph remarked with a grin, causing Yoshi to smile.

After a brief silence, Joseph leaned forward. “So, what brings you here? Is there something I can do for you?”

Yoshi nodded slightly. “Yes, indeed. I’d like to know more about your world—or worlds, as you claim. Every life you’ve lived, including those of your variants.”

Joseph tilted his head, a curious glint in his eyes. “And what do I get in return?”

Yoshi smiled, leaning in just enough to add weight to his words. “In exchange, I’ll reveal things to you as a sign of trust.”

“And?” Joseph asked, clearly expecting more.

“You’ll have to earn our trust before you gain your freedom,” Yoshi added, his smile widening, but his tone resolute.

Joseph sighed theatrically, a grin creeping back onto his face. “Alright, fair enough. Where do I begin? Ah, I know—how about the time a variant of mine became a legendary hero in an alternate universe? That should make for an interesting tale.”

Joseph and Yoshi spent hours deep in conversation, gradually peeling back the layers of Joseph's enigmatic past and his many variants. As the stories unfolded, Yoshi listened intently, enthralled by the breadth of Joseph's experiences—tales of saving worlds, galaxies, and entire universes.

Joseph leaned back, a nostalgic smile on his face. “Oh, and on more than one occasion, I helped the Avengers take down Galactus. That was something,” he said, his eyes gleaming with fondness. “But that wasn’t even the highlight. No, the best part was when we teamed up to take down the Beyonder during a Secret Wars event. We had the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four... it was epic. A once-in-a-lifetime alliance.”

Yoshi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You took down the Beyonder?”

Joseph nodded. “With a lot of help, of course. But the most fun was when my variant in that reality had a little... altercation with Deadpool. We argued about who broke the fourth wall better—though I’ve gotta admit, the guy has style.”

He chuckled, his mind wandering to other memories. “Oh, and She-Hulk? Yeah, we dated multiple times. Actually got married in one reality and had kids. You could call them ‘Unkillable Hulks,’” he added with a laugh, clearly enjoying the ridiculousness of the name.

As Yoshi continued to listen, Joseph's tales grew even grander. He recounted how he fought alongside the Justice League, helping them defeat Darkseid's true form, a battle so fierce that even the gods trembled. “I even married Wonder Woman in that timeline,” he said with a grin. “She was fierce, but, well... so was I.”

Joseph’s stories took a playful turn as he began to recount his romantic escapades. “I’ll tell you this—across every universe, every franchise, I somehow managed to win over the hearts of every protagonist’s love interest. You name it: comic book, movie, even stories that haven’t been written yet.” He gave Yoshi a mischievous smile. "I guess you could say... I'm the ultimate leading man."

Joseph continued recounting his remarkable adventures, this time diving into one of his more cosmic battles. “There was this one time I fought alongside Goku, the gods, and angels against a deity so powerful that even the multiverse trembled. It took everything we had to stop that entity. But the most memorable part wasn’t just the battle itself—it was learning from OsamaHiro Khan, a divine being of unprecedented power.”

Yoshi leaned in, intrigued. “OsamaHiro Khan? Never heard of him.”

Joseph nodded. “He’s not the kind of being that just shows up in any timeline. He taught me how to tap into a transformation called ‘Divine God's Blue.’ It's more of a technique than just a power-up. It lets the user become completely untouchable, but here’s the catch—you can’t attack or harm your adversary while using it.”

Joseph grinned, clearly enjoying Yoshi’s curiosity. “It’s a technique of pure defense. You could be facing the deadliest, most lethal attacks—things that would obliterate even gods—and not even a strand of your hair would be touched. It’s all about avoiding harm, something anyone can achieve, human or god. The technique is also known as the ‘Inner Soul Experience,’ or ‘Ruach,’ as OsamaHiro called it.”

“Sounds like Goku’s Ultra Instinct,” Yoshi observed.

Joseph chuckled. “It’s similar, but cooler. With Ultra Instinct, Goku can dodge and counter attacks effortlessly, but with Divine God's Blue, you don’t counter. You become untouchable, and that alone can drive your opponent mad with frustration. Gods, demons, even beings beyond time use it as a last resort to escape the inevitable.”

He leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “But then there’s ‘Counteract Blue.’ That’s the real kicker. It’s kind of a rip-off of Ultra Instinct, but way more intense. Goku admitted as much, and—well, not me, but a variant of mine—taught him how to use it.”

Yoshi raised an eyebrow. “Counteract Blue? How does it work?”

Joseph grinned. “It’s a transformation that takes all the damage you’ve endured—seven hits, to be exact, no matter how lethal—and then after the seventh blow, you don’t die. Instead, you return every attack with even more power, and you do it unconsciously and consciously. It’s an unbeatable cycle. The more you’re hit, the stronger you become until your opponent is completely overwhelmed.”

Joseph leaned forward, his eyes gleaming as he continued to explain the intricacies of **Divine God’s Blue**. “To put it simply, Divine God's Blue never runs out. It’s not a power that drains over time. Once you harness it, it stays with you as long as you maintain the right state of being. The key is purity—being free from negativity or any kind of mental or emotional hindrance. Your mind, body, and soul have to be completely aligned. And that’s the part most beings—whether they’re gods, demons, or mortals—struggle with.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “This form humbles you. It makes you untouchable—not even transcendent beings who can erase someone from existence can harm you while you’re in this state. It’s pure self-defense on a divine level. But,” he added, his tone more serious, “the moment you try to fight back, the connection weakens. If you force yourself to break the harmony, to engage your opponent, you lose the power. And once that connection’s gone, you become vulnerable to attacks.”

Yoshi was visibly impressed. “So, it’s more about restraint than power.”

Joseph nodded. “Exactly. It’s a state of being, not just a technique. But then there’s **Counteract Blue**, which is the opposite in a way. After you take the seventh and final lethal blow, something amazing happens—you gain complete control. You can counter any attack at will, no matter how powerful. Even beings using **Mastered Ultra Instinct**—which is still somewhat touchable—can’t lay a finger on you once Counteract Blue activates.”

He smiled, leaning back. “It’s a balance of taking the punishment and then unleashing it tenfold. The perfect defense followed by the perfect offense.”

Yoshi shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “You really have seen it all, haven’t you?”

Joseph laughed. “Oh, this is just scratching the surface. But that one? Yeah, that was something else entirely.”

Yoshi couldn't help but smirk, recognizing Joseph’s penchant for exaggeration, yet still captivated by the endless scope of his adventures. "Quite the resume you've built, Joseph. I suppose there's nothing left for you to conquer?"

Joseph laughed. “Oh, there's always something. But, for now, I think I’ve done more than my fair share.”

Joseph listened attentively as Yoshi began revealing his family’s ancient history, his eyes widening at the staggering ages Yoshi mentioned. "Wow! Very impressive," Joseph remarked with a grin. "That means none of you are mortals, or maybe half-mortal, half-deity? No human could live that long, except for gods, cosmic beings, or those under ancient curses or strange experiments from where I come from."

Yoshi nodded solemnly before taking a deep breath. “My father is indeed a supernatural being. My mother, a hybrid—half monster, half human. My brothers and I are tribrids, a mixture of all three. Yoshito and I are half supernatural, half monster, and half human.”

Joseph’s eyebrows raised slightly as Yoshi continued. “Our ancestors once waged war amongst themselves. Supernaturals and monsters lived among humans, teaching them their knowledge and making pacts with them.”

Curiosity sparked in Joseph’s eyes. “So, what changed?”

Yoshi’s expression darkened as he conjured a mystical display in the air, images swirling before Joseph’s eyes. “The great war of endless bloodshed,” Yoshi began. The visuals depicted a chaotic battlefield filled with supernatural creatures and monstrous beings clashing in an all-out war.

He explained how the war started, and how their ancestors rebelled against their creator, an all-powerful entity known as **The Infinite Tier**. “It was our creator—the one who brought us into existence, who created the multiverse and everything within it. But it became dissatisfied, even mad, as though it regretted the very act of creation.”

Joseph leaned forward, captivated. “The Infinite Tier?”

Yoshi nodded. “We never saw its true form, but its power was undeniable. It wanted to destroy all of existence, to erase everything it had created. We fought back against its minions, but the Infinite Tier was far too powerful. Death and reincarnation became part of the cycle, but for some reason, it chose not to end us entirely. It was as if it was waiting for something—or someone—to emerge from a world beyond.”

As Yoshi spoke, the mystical images continued to display epic battles, showing how their ancestors fought and, against all odds, managed to imprison the Infinite Tier. “Our ancestors, the defenders of the four lands, managed to bind the Infinite Tier. Ever since then, the lands have never been the same. Corruption spread, and the lands became divided. Each kingdom and empire had its own rules, its own defenders, and a great bridge was created to separate the lands.”

He sighed deeply, the conjured images slowly fading. “But when all hope seemed lost, a prophecy emerged. A savior, it was said, would rise—someone who would either reunite the four lands or bring about our doom.”

Yoshi stood up, his tale leaving an air of mystery lingering in the room. “Thank you for sharing a part of your past, Joseph. If I can trust you further, I’ll reveal more about the four lands—and about myself.”

With a slight smile, Yoshi winked at Joseph and said, “Until next time, JBC.”

Joseph smirked in return, acknowledging the playful use of his initials. "I'll be waiting, Prince Yoshi."

Within the depths of the secluded Wisteria Forest Kingdom, hidden among the towering trees and the mist-covered terrain, a group of renegades gathered for a secret meeting. Their leader, Ryujin, stood at the forefront, his imposing presence commanding the attention of the crowd. The flickering light of the torches cast shadows on his face as he began his speech.

"Brothers and sisters," Ryujin began, his voice filled with conviction, "the prophecy has come to pass. The savior has arrived—**the one known as Unkillable**. His powers are beyond comprehension, rivaling even our one true God. Not even the combined might of the royal families can stand against his potential. With his abilities, we can finally free ourselves from the chains of this mad God and claim the kingdom for ourselves."

He paused dramatically, letting his words sink in, but before he could continue, one of the renegades spoke up with a question that had been gnawing at the minds of many. “If this savior is so powerful, why is he held captive in the kingdom's stronghold?” The question rippled through the group, whispers quickly turning into murmurs of doubt.

Ryujin's face darkened with irritation. “What?” he growled, stepping forward. “Idiots! Arrogant fools!” He sighed in frustration before continuing, “It’s clear that none of you have been paying attention to your assigned tasks. Did any of you notice the **three mystical markings** on the savior’s forehead?”

The crowd’s murmurs shifted as some renegades nodded in agreement, their memories of the markings resurfacing. Yet, there were still those who found it hard to believe. Some questioned their loyalty to the one true God, fearing the consequences if they were to betray Him. Others argued for caution, suggesting they make an **ally of Joseph Benjamin Carmen** rather than attempting to seize his power for themselves.

The whispers grew louder, different opinions clashing in a rising storm of uncertainty. Ryujin, his patience wearing thin, slammed his fist against the table, silencing the crowd instantly. “Enough!” he roared. His hand ran through his hair in frustration, before he coldly laid out his challenge to the divided group.

“We will move forward with **multiple operations**, each led by a different group,” Ryujin declared. “Whichever plan succeeds will become our primary course of action. This way, we all work towards the same goal, and no one strays from the cause. But heed my warning—**failure will not be tolerated**. Anyone who falls short will face the consequences, and believe me, they will be severe."

The renegades listened closely, tension filling the air as Ryujin’s ultimatum set in. The stakes were high, and failure would not be an option.

Once the general meeting was over, Ryujin called for a private gathering with **three rebel guards** of the kingdom. Among them were a knight, a hunter, and a knight-hunter—each skilled in their craft and holding distinct ranks within the kingdom's hierarchy. In the dim light of the secluded hideout, the four of them plotted how they would **ambush the royal family** and overthrow the kingdom once the renegades' plans were in motion.

The knight, with his vast knowledge of the kingdom's defenses, laid out a map of the palace grounds. The hunter, skilled in tracking and stealth, discussed weak points in the kingdom’s patrol routes. The knight-hunter, a blend of both, offered a strategy to **neutralize the royal family's elite guard** and create a path straight to the heart of the palace.

“The royal family won’t know what hit them,” Ryujin muttered darkly. “Once Joseph Benjamin Carmen is free—or once we control his power—nothing will stand in our way.”

Their plans set in motion, the renegades prepared for what could be the **rebirth or ruin** of the kingdom.