Mukuroshibo stood frozen for only a fraction of a second after the guard's report.
"The dark chi… inside the castle itself?" he repeated sharply. "Are all the Stone Gods alerted of it?!"
"Yes, sir. They are alert and already on the move," the guard replied without hesitation.
"Good," Mukuroshibo said, turning back toward the battlefield. "I'm going to deal with this monster."
Across from him, Omni Null hovered calmly, spiral eyes rotating slowly. "Ahh yes, Mukuroshibo. Bring it on. Just so you know… I haven't transformed yet."
Before Mukuroshibo could respond, a deafening sonic wave tore across the battlefield.
"STARWAVE SLASH!"
A blinding arc of energy sliced toward Omni Null's head, forcing him to shift as one of his black orbs snapped into position to shield him.
"Never forget to look at the stars, Omni Null," a calm voice declared.
Raizen descended onto the battlefield, clad in yellow and blue armor that mirrored the colors of the God Castle. In his hand gleamed Hoshikiri, the Star-Cutter. Though he appeared no older than his twenties, the pressure surrounding him was immense.
"Ahh… well, well, well," Omni Null murmured. "We have the God's Warrior here… Raizen."
Raizen did not look away from him. "Mukuroshibo, I'll take care of this. You check the castle with the rest of the Stone Gods. We picked up the signal — the being inside is registering as a God-level villain."
Mukuroshibo's expression hardened. "This is not good. Take care, Raizen."
Without another word, he rushed back toward the castle.
"Ahh yes, run along, Mukuroshibo," Omni Null mocked. "Too bad I can't fight an equa—"
His words were cut short as Hoshikiri flashed again. An orb shielded him just in time.
"Watch yourself, Omni Null," Raizen said calmly. "Don't get distracted. You're facing an equal right now."
"Oh yes," Omni Null replied lightly. "I wouldn't forget that you're Legend rank too."
Inside the castle, Riven and Tetsuro moved quickly through winding corridors.
"Oh man, this castle is a literal maze. We already heard the fight outside," Riven muttered.
"I'm pretty sure we've gone in circles for twenty minutes," Tetsuro replied.
Far down the hallway, they spotted a dark figure standing still.
"Uh… who is that guy, Tetsuro?"
"Is it just me, or do I feel dark chi coming from it?"
The figure turned and walked away. Riven exhaled. "Phew, that was weird. Now let's find our—"
Before he could finish, dark hands seized both of their shoulders from behind.
"No one gets hurt," a calm voice said. "Where do the Stones stay?"
They were paralyzed, overwhelmed by suffocating dark chi. Fear gripped them so tightly they could barely breathe.
Suddenly, the castle speakers activated. "Attention all warriors. The Shatter Stone God, Shatter, has been enraged. Do not approach him under any circumstances."
Lightning crackled behind them, growing louder.
"SHATTERING SHATTER PUNCH!"
The corridor exploded with force. The dark figure vanished at the last instant, and the crushing pressure on Riven and Tetsuro disappeared.
Red lightning flickered as Shatter stood behind them, anger visible but controlled.
"You two… what did he ask you?"
"He asked where the Stones stay. We didn't know," Riven replied.
Shatter lowered into a stance. "CARNAGE!"
"SHATTER BLITZ!"
He vanished in pursuit.
Moments later, Shatter burst into the Stones Room. The doors lay shattered, rubble scattered across the floor. In the center stood a dark arm holding the Spirit Stone, its orange glow reflecting against the chamber walls.
"You didn't see that coming," the voice said calmly.
Shatter lunged forward, but the figure disappeared, taking the Spirit Stone with it.
Mukuroshibo arrived seconds later. Shatter stood amid the wreckage.
"Carnage has taken the Spirit Stone, Mukuroshibo."
"They can't use it unless they possess one of the Divine Relics," Mukuroshibo replied steadily. "It should take time to retrieve it… but if they knew they needed a Divine Relic, why did they take it?"
Shatter turned sharply. "I'm going to gather all the God hero ranks with me."
"Wait. All of them?" Mukuroshibo asked.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Don't take Shenrai. Leave him be."
"Why can I not take him?"
Mukuroshibo's voice lowered. "I'm not ready to face him. It's been years since we went our separate ways. Besides, I don't think he would come to help at all. He has other planets to save."
"Shenrai is that powerful, huh?"
Mukuroshibo did not hesitate. "The strongest human ever known."
Outside, Omni Null rose higher into the air.
"Third Seal… Twin Relic Madness!"
His arms turned white as the orbs fused into them, unleashing a blinding barrage of punches. Raizen blocked each strike.
"Starscream Haze."
Hundreds of stars burst from Hoshikiri, forming a dazzling haze that obscured the battlefield.
"Show yourself, God's Warrior! VOID FANG ULTRA BEAM!"
Omni Null's arms moved so quickly they left six afterimages. A white beam struck Raizen's katana, sending it flying.
"I forgot to ask, Raizen," Omni Null called out. "Where's your Stone? Got lost?"
Raizen raised his arm. "It's in heaven, waiting for this opportunity. Arise, Tengoku!"
The clouds split apart as a colossal greatsword descended from the sky, nearly striking Omni Null. The impact blasted him backward. Embedded in the weapon's hilt was a glowing Stone.
"How's the weapon looking? It's called Tengoku. Now let's end this."
He lifted the massive blade and slammed it into the earth.
"GREAT GOLD STRIKE!"
A towering mountain of solid gold erupted toward Omni Null. He gathered all his orbs into a single rotating shield. The golden mountain collided and halted against it.
"Well, Raizen… you're starting to make me more excited to figh—" Omni Null paused mid-sentence, as though hearing something.
"Well… looks like I'm done stalling. I'll be seeing you later."
A dark red beam descended from above and engulfed him, removing him from the battlefield.
"Stalling?" Raizen muttered. "He was a distraction the whole time?"
He turned toward the castle. "Guards! Keep all warriors at bay. This may not be over yet. I'll see what was happening inside."
The scene shifted to the distant world of Pyro, a planet veiled in smoldering skies and burning horizons. A crimson beam tore through the atmosphere and struck the ground before the towering gates of a colossal dark castle. From within the fading red ray emerged two figures — Omni Null and the distorted presence known as Carnage — returning from the God Planet.
They stood before immense iron gates engraved with ancient symbols that pulsed faintly with heat. The air itself trembled around Carnage.
"What shall we do now, Master?" Omni Null asked.
"I have other plans, Omni Null… Take the Stone and place it upon the pedestal. Inform the others that I will return."
Omni Null obeyed and disappeared within the fortress.
Carnage remained outside.
He raised his right hand.
A red glow condensed into a swirling sphere of destructive energy.
"Planetary Devastation… This should end Zhinra… or bring Shenrai to me."
Far across the cosmos, on Zhinra, the sky split apart.
A colossal red beam descended from the sky.
Master Shenrai stood unmoving beneath it.
"What a predictable move, Carnage…"
For a single instant, he saw the future — the beam piercing the planet's crust, shattering the core, destroying Zhinra if he stepped aside.
If he moved — Zhinra would die.
The vision vanished.
The beam struck.
Shenrai lifted both arms.
Golden chi erupted, forming a colossal Yin and Yang symbol before him.
Red annihilation clashed with his golden chi. Shockwaves tore across the atmosphere. The ground fractured beneath his feet, yet he did not bend.
The Yin and Yang rotated, harmonizing the destructive current instead of merely resisting it.
High above, Carnage knew his victory was absolute with his beam , but he felt something was off.
The beam trembled.
Golden light climbed upward along its length.
The red ray bent.
Then it began moving upward.
"What…" Carnage muttered.
Golden chi surged like a rising sun consuming dusk.
"So this is the true level… of a God."
End of the chapter.