Rien sat alone on the bench, holding a juice bottle, staring at the sky with his usual blank expression.
Kuto placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
"Hey, Rien. Sitting alone again?"
Rien slowly turned his head.
"Looking energetic like always," he said calmly.
Kuto grinned, moved in front of him, and pointed at the sky.
"Let's go there."
Rien blinked once.
"To the infinite space?"
Kuto rolled his eyes dramatically.
"I'm asking—Is it really possible that multiverses exist? All different, all running on different time lines with different systems?"
Rien stood up.
"Of course. Every multiverse exists. Each has its own timeline… but the root system is always the same."
He looked at the sky.
"Cosmic Energy.
People change names.
But truth never changes. We name things only to make ourselves feel superior."
Kuto rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So… can we go to another universe? See if people actually exist there? We have time before the City Tournament. Might help us get stronger, right?"
He made puppy eyes.
Rien sighed deeply.
Snap.
Both of them appeared in the middle of the Omniverse—floating among infinite shimmering glass-like spheres.
Kuto froze.
"Uh… Rien… what are these… balls?"
Rien pinched the bridge of his nose.
"These are NOT balls. These are universes. All of them. We're standing in the Omniverse."
Kuto's eyes went wide with pure horror. He clutched Rien tightly.
"JUST SAY YOU'RE JOKING—THIS IS HORRIFYING!!"
Rien pushed him off gently.
"You're the one who asked for it. Now stop complaining. Pick a universe."
Kuto tried to stand confidently, voice cracking.
"S-So… where are we standing now?"
Rien looked around once.
"We're in the 3rd Division of the Omniverse. Between the Cosmos and the Observer Universe."
Kuto gulped hard.
He pointed at one glowing sphere.
"What about this one?"
Rien stared at it.
"That universe is Alzera. It contains:
• 1.3 million dimensions
• 24.43 million galaxies
• 76.45 million planets
And it's the 11th strongest universe overall."
Kuto's eyes sparkled.
"Let's go!!"
He took one step—
Rien grabbed his collar.
"You can't enter a universe like that. Each universe is surrounded by trillions of cosmic atoms.
If you even touch one of them wrong, the whole field will go unstable and collapse."
Kuto pouted.
"So we're just gonna stand here forever?"
Rien didn't answer. Instead—
Teleport.
They appeared inside the Alzera Universe, on a planet filled with massive forests and sky-tearing mountains.
Kuto gasped.
"WOAH… It's beautiful!"
Rien looked around, then teleported them again—deep into a lush jungle filled with colossal, rare beasts.
Kuto stared.
"These are COSMIC beasts!"
Rien nodded.
"Right. But it seems they haven't evolved like ours. They're still beasts… but strong."
Kuto walked ahead with excitement, Rien following silently.
(After a while)
They arrived at an ancient, powerful-looking city. The air vibrated with cosmic pressure.
Kuto shouted, amazed,
"Bro… I can feel the cosmic energy everywhere!"
Rien nodded.
"This universe ranks 11th because of its cultivators. High cosmic users are everywhere here."
Kuto walked beside him.
"So what rank is our universe among all universes?"
Rien continued walking.
"If you exclude me, our universe is ranked 125."
Kuto nodded, thinking.
"And what if I count you?"
Rien stopped, turning his blank gaze toward him.
"I am not bound to any universe's citizenship.
I don't belong to existence.
I exist beyond the Omniverse." Rien walked deeper into the glowing city market, his footsteps slow, steady, almost silent. The place was alive—lantern lights flickered across colorful stalls, children chased each other, and performers juggled cosmic-infused flames that painted the sky red and blue.
Everyone was laughing. Everyone was radiant.
And then there was Kuto.
Kuto sparkled like a kid in a candy store, nearly vibrating as he stared at a group of beautiful girls posing for a painting vendor.
"WELL!! Everyone here is SO radiant! Look at those girls! They're glowing!"
Rien slowly turned his head, staring at him with the most lifeless, soulless deadpan expression imaginable.
"Stop staring. They're just normal girls. Nothing divine is happening to them."
Kuto deflated instantly—like a balloon pricked by reality.
But fate wasn't done with him.
Suddenly, a beautiful girl sprinted around the corner—eyes panicked—and crashed straight into Kuto.
"Ah—! I'm sorry!!" she shouted before bolting away again, disappearing into the waves of people.
Kuto staggered. "Hey—! Watch where you're—"
Before he could finish, S M A C K—
three grown men rammed into him while chasing her.
"OW! What is wrong with the universe today!?" Kuto shouted, rubbing his head. "Is bumping into me a festival!?"
Rien watched the men run by, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly—analyzing, reading, predicting.
"That girl is definitely headed toward trouble," he murmured.
Kuto walked toward a dumpling shop, completely unfazed.
"Trouble? Hmm. Not my problem. I need food."
Rien blinked slowly.
Then turned back toward the direction of the running girl.
His eyes sharpened—cold, focused…
…and he vanished.
In the Dark Alley
Lan Xia was cornered.
Her back hit cold brick as five men surrounded her. Their shadows loomed over her like starving beasts.
"Don't bother resisting," the leader sneered, grabbing her chin. "Girls like you belong to us."
Her breathing hitched—fear trembling through her hands.
A hand rested on the leader's shoulder.
Not heavy. Not threatening.
Just… there.
"Hey," a calm voice said.
"Don't bother that girl."
The man turned slowly.
"Mind your own business, kiddo."
Rien nodded once.
"Okay."
His tone didn't change. His face didn't move.
"Just don't say I didn't warn you."
POP.
Air shifted.
The leader didn't fall.
He didn't scream.
He simply ceased.
Gone. Not dust. Not blood.
Just… removed from existence.
The other men froze, shaking violently.
"W-What the—!?"
Rien stepped forward.
His eyes glowed faintly.
"Leave."
They screamed and attacked with swords, but—
F O L D.
Reality bent. Space twisted like paper.
And they vanished too.
Silence flooded the alley.
Lan stared, chest rising and falling rapidly.
"They're gone," Rien said, voice gentle. "Forever."
She covered her mouth, eyes flooding—and suddenly threw her arms around him.
"Thank you… thank you so much…" she whispered, trembling against him.
Rien froze.
He could erase gods with a thought…
but a hug?
That confused him.
After a long moment, he awkwardly placed a hand on her back, patting it softly.
"What's your name?" he asked quietly.
"M-My name… is Lan Xia."
"Do you have a home?" he continued.
Lan shook her head softly. "I'm from the Xia Clan. But after the fight between Xia and Liu… everything fell apart. People turned on each other. Even clansmen."
Rien listened without a flicker of emotion.
"Is this place controlled by the Xia Clan or Liu Clan?"
"This area belongs to the Liu Clan," she said. "Those men… were Liu members."
Rien turned, walking away.
"If you want, come with me. I'll take you to the Xia Sect. No one will touch you."
Lan blinked, then smiled gently before running after him.
Back at the Market
Kuto stood outside the dumpling shop showing a group of girls "cool poses," flexing like a discount hero.
When he saw Rien, he ran over with ridiculous energy.
"Rien! GREAT news! These lovely ladies told me about a big hotel nearby. I got us a destination!!"
Then he noticed Lan.
"…Why is the 'bumping girl' with you?"
Rien sighed deeply.
"Kuto. It's a LONG story. Too long for your foggy brain. Just take us to the hotel."
Kuto puffed his chest.
"Trust me! I am a master navigator!"
Rien turned to Lan.
"He's not."
"I-I can tell," Lan giggled softly. "He's kind… but very chaotic."
Kuto turned red instantly, flailing.
"H-Hey! C-come on! I can be cool too!"
Lan smiled warmly. "I never said you weren't."
Kuto short-circuited.
Rien watched both of them.
Then slowly rolled his eyes and began walking.
And the three of them moved through the glowing night market—heading toward their next destination, step by step.