The divine pressure from Lord Ravana had vanished, but a new, more profound silence had taken its place. Aekai tried to summon his power, but the well was dry. A glance at his remaining forces confirmed it—their Gate powers were sealed, their auras dim. His own immense strength had been significantly suppressed.
His eyes, burning with pure, unadulterated rage, found the source of his humiliation. "SENNNNNNN!" he roared, the name a curse. "You will die a thousand deaths for this!"
Leaning casually on his staff, Nero's mentor, Sen, didn't even flinch. "Sure. If you are able to do so."
Aekai took a single, threatening step forward.
A new voice, cold and sharp as obsidian, cut through the air. "If you try, make sure you end my life in one clean shot." Another figure materialized, his presence a black hole of power. "Otherwise, I won't give you a second chance."
Nero stood firm, his gaze locked on Aekai. "I told you, you can't win this. I lost last time because I didn't understand what you were capable of. That's no longer the case."
"You want a fight, Obsidian? So be it!" Aekai snarled.
But it was a feint. In a time frame incomprehensible to any mortal—0.00000000000000001 seconds, a testament to Gate 7's power—Aekai ignored Obsidian and blitzed towards Nero. "You are the biggest threat to me for now!"
Yet, in the very same blink of an eye, Obsidian was there, blocking the path. His battle form was revealed, his body overflowing with catastrophic energy that warped the space around him.
"Your fight is with me."
Obsidian's counter-punch wasn't just fast; it shattered the very fabric of reality around its point of impact. Aekai was hurled backwards, skidding across the restored earth.
"Aekai," Obsidian's voice was a final warning. "Let us end this nonsense battle today. Once and for all."
Aekai rose, a sphere of absolute annihilation beginning to form between his hands. "As you wish!"
But the clash never came.
Time stopped.
Not the slowed perception of speed, but a true, absolute cessation. Every molecule, every particle of energy, every thought was frozen in a single, eternal moment. Aekai and Obsidian were statues of themselves, locked in their combat poses.
(What happened?! I can't move my body!) Aekai's mind screamed in the prison of his own skull.
(Damn,) Obsidian thought, a flicker of recognition in his frozen consciousness. (He's here.)
Then, they saw it. A being descended from the sky, not walking but simply appearing, fully wreathed in a light that was both beautiful and terrifying.
Messenor.
Primordial. Leader of the Divine Members.
His voice was calm, yet it resonated in their frozen minds. "May I ask why the two protectors of this multiverse are fighting each other? Obsidian?"
Aekai tried to form a thought, to project his defense.
Messenor's gaze shifted to him, and Aekai felt a terror deeper than any mortal fear. "I did not ask you. So, stay quiet."
"Lord Messenor," Obsidian's mental voice was clear. "In his quest to achieve a Primordial Fragment, Aekai has destroyed this entire universe!"
"Is this true, Aekai?" Messenor asked, the weight of the question enough to crush a star.
The hold on Aekai loosened just enough for him to speak. "There haven't even been ten minutes since I entered his universe! I used my power against Obsidian, and no one else! My comrades, Oran, Berro, Alexius—"
"Then what are three members of your community doing here?" Obsidian interjected.
"—are under my guidance!" Aekai finished, seizing the opening. "Oran has already met his fate. Berro and Alexius never used their power in this world. How are they guilty? And you ask me why they are here? Then can you explain why you and your friend, Sen, are here? Obsidian-There is no law that prohibits a Gate User from traveling across dimensions!"
He pressed his advantage, his tone turning righteous. "So, Obsidian, tell Lord Messenor, what is my fault? I didn't come here for any fragment. I came here because, according to Primordial Law, this universe is near the end of its life span!"
"Then why," Obsidian's voice was a low growl, "did a Gate 7 User arrive with an army of Gate Users?"
"Because a few hours ago, that boy, Seino, used a Tier B Grade weapon that killed Oran, a Gate 5 User, in one strike!" Aekai retorted, his lie expertly woven with a thread of truth. "Do you think such an act is taken lightly? A weapon of that caliber is a threat to the cosmic balance!"
"You are damnably cunning, Aekai," Obsidian said, his frustration palpable. "Keep covering your lies. It will only lead you to your doom. There is still time to turn back."
"We will see about that," Aekai smirked.
"Enough!" Messenor's command was final. "This bickering ends now. You will all be judged by the Trial."
With a wave of his hand, every single Gate User—Aekai, Obsidian, Sen, and all their comrades—vanished, teleported away to a realm beyond comprehension. Messenor himself began to fade.
Then he stopped. His divine attention focused on a single point.
Nero. Who was stretching his arms, completely unaffected by the time lock.
Messenor's form solidified, a rare look of surprise on his features. "How is this possible?"
Nero bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Messenor."
The Primordial drifted down, his luminous form hovering before Nero. "You are Nero, correct? I am surprised. You are able to move freely in my temporal stasis."
"Oh, this?" Nero looked at his own hands. "I'm not entirely sure. It seems the Karma of Neutrality is behind it."
(Karma of Neutrality... Just as I suspected,) Messenor's thoughts raced. (My teacher once said it was the weakest, yet potentially the strongest of all Karmas. It grants its users... exceptional permissions.)
"Anyways, kid," Messenor said aloud. "Aren't you going back to your world? I'm not forcing you, you can stay if you want. But this world is already too damaged to support life."
"Lord Messenor," Nero began, his expression turning serious. "May I have permission to speak to you freely?"
"Of course. Why do you ask?"
"Because I believe you knew this was going to happen," Nero stated, his voice gaining an edge. "I heard from Lord Ravana that the Primordial Members know the location of all Eternal Fragments. So, why did you let this happen? Why did you gamble with hundreds of millions of lives? And why hide the fragments in such vulnerable places?"
His composure broke, a wave of anger surfacing. "I am truly mad at you! You knew everything and still did nothing!" [Rage]
Messenor was silent for a long moment. Then, he gestured to a large, smooth rock. "Please, sit."
Nero sat. Messenor took a seat beside him, the act itself strangely human for a cosmic entity. He let out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of eons.
"You know, Nero, there was a time when I was like you," he began, his voice laced with a profound sadness. "But as the millennia passed, I witnessed the death of stars, the suffering of civilizations, the end of worlds... You are right. I cannot do anything. I am bound by laws, like a machine executing a program." A faint, sorrowful smile touched his lips. "But you must understand, this is for the greater good. If I were to take direct action... this 'Kalpa Day' would end instantly."
(One Kalpa Day = A few hundred trillion years)
"You say that knowing everything, I do nothing," Messenor continued, his gaze intense. "Then how about you do something? Aekai already possesses five fragments. Only two remain. One is at the core of this Earth, which I am retrieving now. The other is in 'Anandvana.' How about you find it and destroy it? That would ensure Aekai's plan never comes to fruition."
"Why don't you destroy it?" Nero asked, confused. "You are far more powerful than I am."
"Look, Nero, I can't. Because I do not possess the Karma of Neutrality." Messenor leaned forward. "Let me explain the hierarchy of power. Simply put: Gate User <<< Karmic Powers ≈ Spiritual Powers >>> Primordial Members."
"For example, two Gate 5 Users of similar level fight. The one with a Karma Attribute will almost always win. But your Karma... is different."
"Is the Karma of Neutrality that powerful?" Nero asked, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
"I cannot say for certain," Messenor admitted. "Not after seeing you move freely in my stasis. Trust me, even the strongest gods cannot do that."
He began the ancient history. "It all started with the creation of the multiverse. As life began to flourish, every life form had its own nature—some aggressive, some peaceful. These collective natures coalesced into unknown energies, which became known as Karmas—a reflection of the deeds of all life. The Karma of Rage draws power from the rage of all beings. The Karma of Fear, from their fears. At the beginning, there were only six main Karmas."
"And then, after trillions of years, the Karma of Neutrality appeared from nowhere. Countless Gate Users have tried to understand its nature. None have succeeded. Some tried to conquer it by force. All failed. For eons, it has shown no response... which is why no one knows its true potential."
"The last leader of the Primordial Members told me something I never forgot: 'This Karma has no boundaries. No set of laws can restrain it.'"
Messenor placed a hand on Nero's shoulder. "So, the task falls to you. It is your path to walk. Your mystery to solve. Find a way to destroy the fragment."
Nero stood up, determination hardening his features. "Well then, I'll find out myself."
After a few more words, Nero gave a casual wave. "See ya, old man."
As Messenor's form began to dissolve into light, his final words were a soft whisper carried on the cosmic wind. "Good luck, Nero."
The time lock shattered.
Everyone stumbled back into motion, confused.
"Where is Aekai?" Sugeto yelled, looking around frantically. "What... where has everyone gone?!"
Nero simply smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. "They left, Toki. I told you, I got this."
"But... the Earth..." Toki gestured at the restored but empty world.
Nero held up a hand, counting down on his fingers. "Wait for it... 3... 2... 1... Boom."
A soft, warm light began to emanate from the ground itself.
"See? Magic."