Terrence dove to the side, the air behind him ripping apart as a Fate Blast screamed past and vanished into nothingness. The ground where it struck was no longer there, just an empty gouge of silence where reality itself had been erased.
He exhaled sharply, both hands rising in sync.
His left arm crackled and ticked with icy mana, veins glowing faint blue beneath his skin.
His right hissed with electricity, arcs of lightning dancing like serpents eager to strike.
Ten feet ahead, the Fate Stalkers continued sprinting. Their snarls scraped through the surroundings, a chorus of distorted rage that made the air vibrate.
Terrence's lips curved into a wide, reckless grin.
Then he slammed his ice-covered hand into the ground.
A sound like the world freezing over erupted.
[New Active Skill Acquired!]
[Glacial Cataclysm LV.1]
Creates an expanding cryogenic field that freezes enemies temporarily and slows down time for a few seconds.
Time itself stuttered.
The Fate Stalkers' screeches turned to echoes. Frost crept along their bodies, spreading from their claws to their cores until even their souls seemed trapped in glass.
And in that suspended stillness, Terrence tilted his head.
"How did Sasuke do that move again?" he murmured to himself.
Then it clicked.
He raised both hands high—one crackling with lightning, the other pulsing with cold.
A confident smirk carved across his face.
"I call this Jutsu Kirin. Begone.."
[New Active Skill Acquired!]
[Cryostorm Kirin]
Power surged. Lightning and ice fused midair, twisting into a colossal dragon of storm and frost. The beast roared, its cry splitting the atmosphere with thunderous divinity.
Terrence's gaze locked with Nemari's. Her eyes widened.
He winked. "With the thunderclap."
The dragon struck.
BOOOOM.
The entire gold dimension detonated in a flash of white-blue brilliance.
A roar drowned out everything.
Lightning howled. Ice shattered across the golden surface. The Cryostorm Kirin tore through the domain, fracturing reality itself as arcs of frozen thunder cut through the golden threads in spiraling chasms of light.
The Fate Stalkers never screamed..they were erased, reduced to dust and divine mist.
Silence.
A single breath.
Nemari twitched her hand to cast another crazy ass move-
Terrence was already there, intercepting her wrist mid-motion. "Oh no you don't."
Her lips curled into a dark smirk. "Do you really think..you can hold me, Mortal?"
Her power surged. But his grip was iron.
She was strong, godly even, but Terrence didn't yield. His other hand slid up, grasping her neck with just enough pressure to stop her movement. His gaze burned with calm dominance.
"Relax..Nemari."
He made sure his voice was extra deep for that one.
A small, surprised sound escaped her lips. "O–Oh.."
Her knees faltered. A faint blush dusted her cheeks, then deepened to crimson as she felt the heat rise to her face.
Terrence tried not to laugh as he released her.
She stepped back quickly, covering her mouth with both hands, mortified.
"So," Terrence grinned. "You good now, or do I need to apply more pressure?"
"D-Don't touch me again, mortal!" she stammered, muffled.
"W–whatever you say, Judge," he teased. "Anyway..what was that forbidden thread I apparently touched? I'm curious."
Nemari took a long, steady breath before replying. "Do you prefer the long version or sho-"
"Short version. No need for anime fillers." Terrence cut in with a smirk.
She blinked, confused at the reference, but continued anyway.
"You are the avatar of Eternity Prime."
Everything inside Terrence stopped.
"The what now?"
His voice dropped as realization hit. "Wait, Eternity Prime? I don't remember Eternity being one of the Primes."
He recalled the seven Primes again. It was basically muscle memory at this point.
Genesis Prime [Life and Creation.]
Ruin Prime [Destruction and Death.]
Order Prime [Order and Fate.]
Chaos Prime [Chaos and Freedom.]
Continuum Prime [Space and Time.]
Equinox Prime [Balance and Harmony.]
And the strongest of them all, Void Prime [Nothingness and Infinity.]
But Eternity Prime? That name had never existed in any record.
Nemari nodded, expression grave. "I know what you're thinking. Normally, those are all that exist. But the forbidden thread you pulled proves it—you are Eternity Prime, the eighth, hidden beyond the laws of creation itself."
Terrence's pulse thundered. "What..does that mean for me?"
"It means," Nemari said softly, "your life is about to change..in a way even I cannot predict. Eternity Prime is beyond comprehension..even for the Judge of Fate."
'System,' Terrence thought, tone edged. 'You knew about this, didn't you?'
[Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question, Terrence. But it's good this truth was revealed to you early on.]
'We'll talk later.' he muttered mentally. Then aloud-
"So, are you defeated or-?"
Nemari crossed her arms, chin lifted in defiance. "Hmph! As if I'd concede to the likes of-"
Terrence cut her off by grabbing a handful of her ass.
Soft. Warm. Perfectly shaped.
She froze instantly.
"Well, what about now?" he asked, smirking.
Her face went red as divine flame.
"…Fine, you win this round," she whispered, defeatedly. "But on one condition—"
"You want me to eat your ass?" Terrence said without missing a beat.
"Wha—?! No! I mean—yes—Anyway!" she sputtered, face aflame. "I just want you to take me on..a date."
Terrence blinked. "A date?"
Nemari's usual confident aura melted into something bashful. "Yes..a date. I want it to be special. So..what do you say, mortal?"
Terrence smiled faintly. "Of fucking course."
Her eyes brightened like twin stars as she suddenly hugged him, pressing close with a soft giggle.
'Glad I'm not bricked anymore..' Terrence innerly chuckled to himself.