Terrence watched with narrowed eyes as the remaining demons froze mid-motion, then crumbled.
Their bodies simply came apart, dissolving into drifting particles of black ash that scattered like burnt code across the battlefield.
His Eternal Shadows paused.
The girls looked around, confused, adrenaline still buzzing through their veins, weapons half-raised as if expecting another wave.
Terrence though, was focused on something else entirely.
[Name:] Demon King Dio
[Classification:] The Tutorial
"The Tutorial"
So that meant this was all a..simulation?
"Clever-"
A womanly voice echoed through the existence.
Blinding, overwhelming radiance swallowed everything, forcing Terrence's eyes shut as reality itself washed out.
"T!"
"Terrence!"
"Master Terrence!"
He heard the girls shouting his name, their voices cutting through the light-
Then silence.
When Terrence opened his eyes again, he stood alone.
Surrounded by radiance.
Everywhere he looked it was light. Golden light. Blinding, endless, pure. It wasn't harsh though..it was warm, like standing inside the heart of a sun that chose not to burn him alive.
"Well well..I must say this is quite new."
The voice that spoke wasn't loud, yet it shook him to the core. Smooth. Womanly. Calm, but with the kind of depth that made you feel like it could unravel time itself if it wanted to.
When his vision cleared, his breath caught.
Sitting before him was a colossal, naked, cosmic-colored woman. Her skin shimmered like the night sky drowned in gold dust. Only large threads of glowing gold covered her dignity, wrapping her body like woven destiny itself.
She had long, crystalline, star-white hair that flowed endlessly, eyes that burned with pure starlight, and a presence that made even his System temporarily go silent.
She sat upon a massive throne, crafted entirely of golden threads that extended infinitely behind her, as though the universe itself was a tapestry she controlled with her fingers.
Terrence couldn't help but ask. "Who..are you?"
She giggled. The sound vibrated through the entire realm, like laughter woven into the strings of creation.
"You can call me The Judge," she said, voice smooth as silk but heavy with authority. "The one who decides the verdict of future fate, who weighs every thread of choice before it's pulled."
Her starlit eyes glowed brighter as she smiled. "And you, Terrence Danbrose..have just tugged one you were never meant to touch."
Wait..he actually recognized that name.
"The Judge..wasn't Kaiser Kons the only one to defeat you?" Terrence questioned, staring upward at the woman seated upon the golden throne.
There was a huge difference between reading about someone and standing before them.
What he saw wasn't mortal beauty. It was otherworldly, a living constellation wrapped in flesh and gold.
Her starlit white eyes subtly widened. "Not a lot of mortals can surprise me," she said softly. "Tell me..how did you know that?"
Since he knew The Judge didn't like liars, Terrence decided to tell the truth..well, at least part of it.
"Honestly? I read about it. Didn't know you were this beautiful in person."
He smiled faintly. A compliment was the easiest deflection known to man, and thankfully it worked.
She giggled, her voice like a melody echoing through stars, smile widening until it shone brighter than her throne.
"Flattery can get you where you need to be..if only for a moment," she teased. "Anyway, the reason you're here is because, as I said before, you touched a thread not meant to be touched. Intentionally? I doubt you even know."
Terrence's brow furrowed. Thread?
Could it be because he wasn't originally from this world? Hopefully not.
"What was the thread?" he asked, his tone sharp but curious.
"I'll tell you.." she said, leaning forward slightly, her white eyes gleaming. "But only if you defeat me."
"Of course.." Terrence exhaled, remembering what he'd read about the only man to defeat her.
It helped that Kaiser Kons was the Void Prime's avatar, his overpowered ass nearly sliced her existence apart with a void attack that literally tore through Fate itself.
Yeah..Terrence grinned. Can't wait to meet him.
[Boss Detected.]
[Nemari, The Judge of Fate LV. ??]
Before we go any further," he said, eyes locking onto hers, "where are my women?"
Nemari paused.
Just for a breath.
"They were removed the moment that 'Tutorial' collapsed," she said calmly. "They are alive and unharmed. This judgment layer does not allow external interference."
"And my Eternal Shadows?"
"Anchored outside this domain," she replied. "They can observe. They cannot intervene."
Terrence exhaled slowly, tension bleeding from his shoulders as the lightning at his feet steadied.
"..Good."
Nemari leaned forward slightly, interest gleaming in her starlit eyes.
"You didn't ask how to get them back," she noted. "Or what it would cost."
Terrence's golden eyes glowed faintly.
"I don't need to," he said. "This ends with me walking out. That's not a question..it's the outcome."
The threads behind Nemari trembled as she stood from her throne with regal grace. "Confident, I like that. Hope you're ready, Terrence. I'm not holding back."
Her body shrunk, settling into a towering 10-foot form as thousands of golden threads unraveled from the throne, spinning around her like divine silk. They hardened into radiant armor that shimmered with celestial might.
She smiled viciously.
[So what's the plan on taking down the fine ass galaxy-colored Stallion?]
'Well, throwing hits and abilities at her is useless. She'll just reflect them back. Welp..guess I'll improvise-'
The next instant, Terrence vanished.
He reappeared right beside Nemari, his hand snapping around hers.
[Miracle Touch LV.1 has activated!]
"Heh." Her voice echoed with amused cruelty. "How reckless of you, mortal."
[ERROR OVERRIDE!]
[THE THREADS HAVE CHANGED. S-Rank Miracle Touch has been reflected back on you!]
"Guess that didn't wor-"
DONK.
"Huh?" Terrence blinked and looked down..only to see he was harder than armadillo armor in all his glory.
"Well, would you look at that," he muttered. "Didn't know I was half-hors-"
"EEEKKK!!" Nemari squealed and jumped back.
Terrence raised an eyebrow. "What? Never seen a man hard before?"
"W-what is that?! And why is it out like that?!" she shouted, pointing accusingly. Her cheeks, once galaxies of light, flushed crimson.
"Wanna touch i-"
"NO!" Nemari yelled, her embarrassment bursting into fury.
Her hand glowed gold as she slammed it down.
The golden threads around her twitched, then shot toward Terrence like divine lightning.
Terrence smirked, eyes narrowing. His perception surged to the max.
The threads were unbelievably fast, blurs of light bending space itself-
..but to him?
They looked like snails crawling through molasses.
"C'mon, Judge.." he taunted with a grin. "I just want a hug!"
He burst forward. He was dodging, weaving, and spinning. His movements left afterimages that crackled with energy.
To any observer, he was a lightning-fast blur, a phantom moving through a golden storm.
"Put that up first!" Nemari shouted as her hands flared gold again.
Blinding Fate Blasts erupted from her palms, streaks of celestial power that shattered and refracted the fabric of reality as they flew.
The air screamed. Space fractured. Each blast split the world into echoes of possible futures.
But she wasn't done.
Her eyes flashed, and a hundred golden sigils ignited in front of her.
FLASH.
The battlefield exploded in light.
[x100 Fate Stalker Summons Detected.]
Terrence blinked as monstrous shapes pulled themselves from the rifts, grotesque yet divine.
They looked like a gold-skinned crossbreed between Xenomorphs, Death Angels, and White Spikes—pure nightmare material forged from Fate's threads.
"How terrifying.." he muttered with fake awe, "if I actually gave a damn."
Nemari extended her arm. "Erase him, Summons!"
The creatures screeched, lunging at him like superpowered 20 Years Later Zombies.
Should've never asked for that hug huh..
Welp better late than never.
"System, activate Elemental Resonance!"
[A-Ranked Elemental Resonance has activated!]
[Choose your element or elements.]
Terrence's grin widened, lightning dancing in his eyes.
"For now, Lightning and Ice. I've got an idea."