The corrupted Ryan lunged, his void sword slicing through the air with a sound like a thousand screams. Ryan blocked, his balanced blade clashing with the void, the impact sending a shockwave through the corrupted Eternal Plane. The ground shook, and shadows erupted from the earth, swirling around them like hungry vultures. The corrupted Ryan grinned, his eyes glowing with pure unmaking. "You see? We're the same. Both darkness, both destruction. The only difference is you pretend to be a hero."
Ryan pushed him back, his balanced energy flaring. "We're not the same. I choose balance. You choose unmaking. And choice is what makes us human."
The corrupted Ryan laughed, a cold, empty sound. "Human? Weak. Fragile. Look at you—you can barely hold back the darkness within. Every time you doubt, every time you fear, you feed me. You're my puppet, Ryan. And soon, you'll be my vessel."
He lunged again, his void sword aimed at Ryan's chest, where the dark thread of unmaking pulsed. Ryan dodged, but the corrupted Ryan's blade grazed his shoulder, and void energy surged into his body. Ryan screamed, feeling his balanced energy being corrupted, the darkness spreading through his veins. The whispers in his mind grew louder, more insistent: "Give in. Embrace unmaking. Let's erase everything together."
Marcus and Jake charged, their energies merging into a beam of light that hit the corrupted Ryan, knocking him off his feet. "Ryan! Fight it!" Marcus shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "You're True Balance—don't let the darkness win!"
Ryan nodded, his vision clearing. He channeled the crystal orb's energy, pushing the void out of his body. The dark thread on his chest receded, but the corrupted Ryan was already back on his feet, his void sword glowing brighter. "You think your friends can save you? They'll die, just like everyone else. And you'll watch—helpless, as the multiverse dissolves into nothingness."
The Unmaker's vortex surged forward, wrapping around the corrupted Ryan, amplifying his power. The corrupted Ryan's form grew larger, his void sword transforming into a massive blade of pure unmaking. "Now, say goodbye to your precious balance."
He swung the sword, and Ryan raised his balanced blade to block. The clash of energies was cataclysmic, the corrupted Eternal Plane shaking as the two forces collided. Ryan's arms trembled, his balanced energy wavering under the unmaker's power. But then he felt it—the Thread of Redemption, glowing brightly beside him, Elias's energy merging with his own.
"Balance is not about suppressing darkness," Elias's voice echoed in his mind. "It's about accepting it, integrating it, and choosing to use it for good. The corrupted Ryan is not your enemy—he's a part of you. And together, you can be stronger than the Unmaker."
Ryan closed his eyes, letting go of his fear. He stopped fighting the corrupted Ryan and instead reached out, his balanced energy wrapping around him. The corrupted Ryan froze, confusion flickering across his face. "What are you doing?"
"Accepting you," Ryan said, his voice calm. "You're not a monster. You're the part of me that's scared, that's angry, that's been hurt. And together, we're True Balance."
The corrupted Ryan's form softened, the void energy fading as he merged with Ryan. Ryan felt a surge of power, more complete and balanced than ever before. His balanced blade transformed, the gold-purple and black energies weaving together into a single, harmonious sword. The dark thread on his chest merged with the Thread of Redemption, creating a new symbol—a circle of light and shadow, bound together by a golden thread.
The Unmaker screamed, its vortex shrinking as Ryan's power grew. "No! You were supposed to be my vessel! You were supposed to erase everything!"
Ryan opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the Unmaker. "I'm not your vessel. I'm True Balance. And I'm here to stop you."
He raised his sword, merging his balanced energy with the Thread of Redemption and the corrupted Ryan's power. The blade glowed with a light that was both creation and unmaking, and he swung it, slicing through the Unmaker's vortex. The Unmaker screamed, its form dissolving into void energy, which Ryan absorbed, converting it into balanced energy.
The corrupted Eternal Plane began to heal, the void energy fading as Ryan's balanced energy spread. The tapestry of multiverses in the sky glowed brighter, and the Thread of Redemption pulsed, its golden light wrapping around Ryan, Marcus, and Jake.
Elias's voice echoed through the plane, warm and proud. "Well done, son. You've merged light and shadow, creation and unmaking, and become the true guardian of the eternal balance. The Unmaker is gone—its energy absorbed into your balance. But remember, balance is a choice. You must continue to nurture it, to protect it, to let it grow."
Ryan nodded, his heart filled with gratitude. "I will, Dad. I promise."
The Thread of Redemption glowed, creating a portal back to the multiverse. Ryan, Marcus, and Jake stepped through, and the portal closed behind them, leaving the Eternal Plane restored, the Unmaker defeated, and the eternal balance secure.
They emerged back on the bridge of the "Balance's Dawn," to the cheers of the allied fleet. The True Balances gathered around them, their faces filled with relief and triumph. Lila ran to Ryan, her loyalty energy glowing bright. "You did it! You defeated the Unmaker!"
Ryan smiled, holding up his sword, its balanced light shimmering. "We did it. Together."
But as the celebration continued, Ryan felt a faint, familiar energy— a pulse from the crystal orb of choice. He closed his eyes, focusing on it, and a vision flashed before his eyes: a new multiverse, born from the merged energy of creation and unmaking, a place where balance was not enforced but celebrated, where choice was not feared but embraced. And in the center of this new multiverse, a figure stood— a being of pure balanced energy, its form shifting between light and shadow, creation and unmaking. It was the first of a new generation of True Balances, born from the eternal balance Ryan had forged.
Ryan opened his eyes, his heart filled with hope. The fight for balance was not over, but it was a new beginning. He had merged his darkness with his light, his unmaking with his creation, and become something more than True Balance— he had become the guardian of the eternal balance, the weaver of the Thread of New Beginnings.
As the allied fleet celebrated, Ryan stared out the viewport at the stars, at the tapestry of multiverses beyond, at the new multiverse being born. The crystal orb of choice pulsed in his hand, the Thread of Redemption glowing in his chest, and the Cashback System's hum now a part of the eternal balance.
The future was bright. The balance was secure. And Ryan Harris— slum kid, True Balance, guardian of the eternal balance— was ready for whatever came next.
But as he smiled, a faint, dark pulse echoed through the multiverse— a reminder that even the eternal balance was not perfect, that even the greatest victory could be undone. Ryan's smile faded, and he turned to the scans, his eyes narrowing. The pulse was faint, but it was there— a new threat, rising from the depths of the void between worlds, a threat that even the eternal balance might not be able to stop.
The allied fleet's celebration continued, but Ryan knew the truth. The fight for balance was never truly over. There would always be new threats, new challenges, new choices to make. But as long as there were True Balances, as long as there were beings who chose to fight for balance, for choice, for life, the multiverse would survive.
And Ryan Harris would be there, leading the way, his balanced sword in hand, his heart filled with hope, his spirit unbroken.
The end… for now.