[1] Galvas is the character named Yuan Zheng in Chinese. I don't know the official English of his name, so I made one up.
…
As Zoran's voice fell, every Dragon Tribe warrior who had charged at him was suppressed on the spot.
A breath of sheer, soul-crushing despair swept across the great hall, radiating outward until it blanketed the entire Second Parallel Universe. This was one hundred thousand years in the past; these warriors were beings who existed only in this bygone era. Having chosen this place as his experimental field, Zoran had come to a grim realization: within every parallel universe, insurmountable conflicts seemed to exist between their indigenous races.
Zoran had never been one to advocate for violence, but at times, violence was indeed the most efficient solution to the majority of problems. This world was not without its sages; Galvas [1], a wielder of the Nebula Body, was one such example, but the result was self-evident: nothing had ever changed.
Under the weight of Zoran's pressure, every dragon warrior began to tremble uncontrollably as his Hetero-Energy surged to its zenith.
Nebula Body: Activation.
The ceiling of the great hall was ripped away as if by an invisible giant, and an unstoppable force descended to dominate the heavens and earth. Every single person who had dared to charge at him now collapsed, prostrating themselves on the ground.
"Why?!" Amidst the sea of cowering bodies, Valen struggled to lift his head, looking up at Zoran's looming figure as he asked with a tremor in his voice. He was certain now that it was this man who had resolved the incident at the Poison Dragon Pool. He had initially assumed the stranger had come with good intentions, but he could not fathom why the man's attitude had shifted so abruptly.
"Why?"
Zoran spoke softly, his gaze settling on Valen. The dragon's face flickered with a glimmer of hope, as if he hungered to understand Zoran's reasoning. But that hope soon died out.
There were many reasons: the fact that mere weaklings dared to brandish blades against a powerhouse, Zoran's decision to trigger "Plan B," and his sudden inspiration to adopt a few of Shendu's virtues. Yet, his final answer to Valen was simple.
"I'm old, and I'm too tired to waste any more words on you."
His Nebula Body ascended infinitely, hurtling toward the firmament. Even across the Seven Parallel Universes, he had virtually no equals now, let alone these weaklings whose Hetero-Energy could barely touch the magnitude of a black hole.
A sense of bewilderment washed over them. Every dragon warrior felt as though they were floating, drifting toward an unknown destination. Zoran had no intention of killing them; to do so would only cause them to fall back into the eternal cycle of the strong. He had a better way, he always had, provided the races of this world weren't so utterly disappointing.
Outside, the starry sky lay in wait. The moon of the Second Parallel Universe shone with a faint, pale luster for its master. Though this was one hundred thousand years in the past, the celestial body's position remained unchanged, and its fate as the prize of the Moon Demon was absolute.
Zoran's Nebula Body reached out toward the celestial sphere, and his demonic essence began to seep forth. In an instant, the moon was stained with a profound, consuming darkness. On the level of the Source and the fundamental laws of reality, it was now Zoran's possession. The Siphon was completed in a blink, and Zoran navigated the process with the ease of someone walking through their own home.
The planet lay exposed before him, becoming nothing more than his private garden. Just as he had told Makima in the world of Chainsaw Man: looking across all worlds and all places, there is only one place where there is no eternal strife.
That principle held true here as well. Zoran had resolved to push forward, ending the cycle of the world in the way of a demon.
Within the palm of his colossal Nebula Body, the crater-ridden moon rotated slowly, revealing its dark side. Unlike the time he sealed He Xiangu, the dark sides of the moon in each world were not interconnected. Just as the previous Cosmos Fiend remained in the dark side of the moon in the Chainsaw Man world, lost in an eternal state of "ceasing to think." He Xiangu's position was more specific, not in the past, nor the present, but existing only in the dark side of the moon in the future of the Jackie Chan Adventures world.
Likewise, Zoran could open the passage to the moon's dark side to seal He Xiangu at any moment, but he chose not to. It was, in his estimation, still too early.
What lay before him now was the dark side of the moon of this world's Second Parallel Universe. Unlike reality, this was a technique unique to him, the Moon Demon, which none could replicate.
His massive palm pressed against the sphere of the moon.
In that instant, everyone felt their vision turn black. Sound, light, and even thought itself, everything vanished into the void.
The moon rotated slowly, and the darkness receded, unseen. Zoran had achieved all he set out to do in the Second Parallel Universe. Within his grasp, the strong of this world would no longer enter the cycle. Because they could no longer die. Once the murderous intent faded, these so-called Dragon warriors would have more than enough time to wallow in their regrets, regret for daring to raise their blades against an insurmountable existence and for speaking so arrogantly of slaughter.
"It should have been this way long ago."
A sigh echoed through the stars, and the Nebula Body vanished.
…
Second Parallel Universe, Earth.
Thales opened his eyes and met Zoran's calm gaze. He looked around; the hall was empty.
"Uncle, you're all done?" Thales asked with a bright smile. He tossed aside a mop he had grabbed from somewhere and patted his chest. "I thought it would be a huge mess to clean up later."
"What? In your eyes, am I really the type who enjoys mindless slaughter?" Zoran asked with a playful, enigmatic smile.
"Of course not!" Thales stood up straight, then muttered, "It's just that those guys from before were so annoying, even looking at them was a headache!"
He gave Zoran a thumbs-up, sighing, "Uncle, your temper is really great."
"I can't exactly take that as a compliment," Zoran laughed. He reached out and rested a hand on Thales's shoulder. "Let's go back."
"You got it!" Thales struck a pose, reciting with practiced flair, "Whenever you need it, the Thales-brand Time-Space Transporter is at your service!"
The immense, overwhelming Hetero-Energy of the Nebula Body poured into the little guy. Experience made it easier this time; not only did he feel no pain, but he felt refreshed, moving his hands in Taiji-like motions to channel the power Zoran provided.
"Temporal... Reversal!"
The world turned gray and white. Thales giggled, clutching the hem of Zoran's robe as they leaped forward like a roller coaster, hurtling through one hundred thousand years of time.
He quieted his mind, savoring the experience, this was an opportunity reserved for him alone. Thales was a sharp boy, clever and alert. He understood why Zoran had been displeased just moments ago. If these people from the past could have been even a little more like him, even a little more willing to listen to reason, they wouldn't have ended up in this state.
He snuck a glance at Zoran, then quickly looked away. Honestly, this uncle of his was actually a pretty easy person to get along with.
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