Mukuroshibo tells the two to stay close. He plants his naginata into the ground, and as the blade strikes, a blue ray descends from the sky, engulfing them.
"Where are we going, Mukuroshibo?" Riven asks.
"I'm taking you two to the God Planet," Mukuroshibo replies calmly. "A place where the Stone Gods' faction resides, and the headquarters of the heroes."
Before either of them can respond, the light overwhelms their vision.
In an instant, they arrive.
Towering mountains stretch endlessly across the horizon, surrounding a colossal structure at the planet's center—the God Castle. Its presence alone feels ancient and absolute. Riven and Tetsuro stand still, taking in the overwhelming sight.
"Well," Mukuroshibo says, turning away, "I shall see you two there."
And just like that, he vanishes.
Riven blinks. "Did he just… leave us here to walk to the castle by ourselves?"
Tetsuro looks toward the distant fortress. "We've got miles to go now. This is going to take a while."
As the two begin their long walk, the scene shifts.
A sharp warping sound echoes as Mukuroshibo appears inside the God Castle.
"Oh! Mukuroshibo, sir—you startled me there," a guard exclaims. "It seems you didn't capture the Throne God on that planet."
"Yes," Mukuroshibo replies. "I failed that mission. But I managed to bring along two strong warriors."
"Oh? Where are they now?" the guard asks.
"Keep an eye on the main gate of the castle," Mukuroshibo says. "It will take them some time to arrive. I'll be attending the Stone Gods' meeting."
"Roger that, sir."
Back outside, Riven and Tetsuro finally reach the gate.
The massive doors loom over them—as tall as a building.
"Whoa… now that's a huge gate," Riven says.
A booming voice erupts from above.
"HALT! You two—state your reason for being here, and your names!"
Tetsuro steps forward. "Mukuroshibo requested us to come here. I am Tetsuro, and this is Riven."
The speaker falls silent.
A full minute passes.
Then, with a deep rumble, the gates begin to open.
As they enter, rows of soldiers come into view—standing perfectly still in yellow-and-blue armored uniforms. The discipline alone is intimidating.
A guard approaches them. "Welcome to the God Castle. Mukuroshibo informed us of your arrival. You'll follow me to the waiting room and remain there until Mukuroshibo, sir, arrives."
Riven looks around, eyes wide. "Oh, sweet. Thanks—and wow, this place looks cool."
Meanwhile, within the Stone Gods' meeting chamber…
"We must deploy all S-Warrior–ranked heroes to Planet Norse," one of the Stone Gods declares. "If Mukuroshibo is engaging a Throne God—or worse, an Apex God—we cannot afford hesitation."
A knock echoes through the chamber doors.
"Excuse me, sirs," a guard says. "Mukuroshibo has arrived at the castle. He will be entering shortly."
"You are excused," the Dream Stone God replies.
Moments later, the massive doors open.
Mukuroshibo steps inside and takes his seat.
"Apologies for my late arrival," he says. "I encountered Veldrin. He escaped in a flash—but I managed to bring back two warriors. They possess potential… enough to one day reach Titan-rank hero status."
The Galaxy Stone God speaks next. "Mukuroshibo, those warriors sound promising. But are we truly going to ignore the Spirit Stone that remains unchosen? Are you not concerned about what could happen if the stone—"
"Enough," Mukuroshibo cuts in. "You already know the rule. The tournament does not begin unless the stone itself awakens and declares it so."
Silence fills the chamber.
Mukuroshibo exhales slowly. "After what happened during the attack on Planet Norse, there's no guarantee the same thing couldn't happen here."
The Shatter Stone God speaks firmly. "Mukuroshibo is right. All gate sections, from A to Z, are to be placed on high alert. Deploy Elite Warrior–rank heroes to investigate the Norse Planet incident immediately. We don't know what may still be lurking there."
The scene cuts back to the waiting room.
Riven leans back, staring at the ceiling. "Tetsuro… do you think we're really worthy of becoming the strongest? I can feel it now. Mukuroshibo said our chi was special—and after that fight, we saw it for ourselves."
Tetsuro clenches his hand slightly. "Yeah. I feel it too. I haven't felt this much power in a long time."
The door opens.
Mukuroshibo steps inside.
"Are you two ready?"