In God's Arena, Ortis seethes with rage, only for Hopper to hold him back.
"Gilga killed them all?!" Ortis shouts, his voice breaking. "After everything we did to save them!"
Hopper's expression hardens. "Yeah. To him, that must've been the best way to secure a spot in the top ten."
Ortis clenches his fists, his eyes burning with grief. "God dang it… Yuri died too. At least he had a better end being at Gaia's side than on that ship."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Arena, Ignis points eagerly at the magic screen as it replays his fiercest battles. He leans toward Tobias, smiling. "See? That's me! Look at everything I pulled off!"
In the Unique Section, Nox narrows his gaze at Kayle. "Kelay must be proud of you," he says calmly. "Maybe even your father is proud of you."
From the Impossible Section, Tomi frowns at the leaderboard. Taeo's name is absent. His face tightens with shock. "What?! Taeo is dead too?!" His voice drops, filled with bitter realization. "That must be how Lars gained that unique power at the end… Damn it. Taeo would've made it to the very end of the Star Games if it weren't for you."
He gives Lars a venomous glare. Lars doesn't return it. His eyes are fixed only on his father's spaceship.
Kayle, however, shifts her gaze toward Zion's ship, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I can't tell if he's happy or furious that I took first place," she murmurs. "Sooner or later, I'll get to see that face twisted in defeat."
Meanwhile in God's Arena, God raises his hands and speaks to the roaring crowd.
"Before the long-awaited break, we must do something about these Stars who have gained such magical powers," he says. "How about a reset—so the others get a chance?"
He waves, and the magic screen shifts to show the battered remains of Doom Planet. A tiny white dot hurtles through space on the screen—then slams into the planet with a cataclysmic explosion that ripples through the space. The audience gasps.
God smiles. "But it will be a unique reset. Enjoy the show, everyone!"
With a sweep of his palm, a colossal cube rises into the sky. Beams of light pluck Stars—those who once held moonlight, sun, light, gifted, and Chosen powers—and teleports them into the cube. The magic screens flick to the cube's interior: a battlefield brimming with a over 50 Stars. Kayle, Lars, Tomi, Boa, Crank, Nox, Ignis, Gaia, Gilga, Ortis, Hopper, Hans, Corvex, Jayden, and others stand facing one another inside the glowing cage.
Ortis blinks, bewildered. "Why am I here?"
Hopper answers grimly, "We must still carry remnants of magic power and God's deciding to reset us."
Hans swallows. "Resetting… sounds like they're going to kill us."
Nox steps forward, cold and blunt. "Then we die. There's no beating it." He turns to Kayle. "Before, the odds were zero percent. Now? They're worse—negative one thousand percent."
Lars tightens, voice hard. "Don't think you'll strip my powers so easily after what I did to get them."
Gilga scoffs. "A false god…"
A thunderous boom interrupts them. A portal rends open, and a towering figure steps through—a thirteen-foot man, long white hair that reaches his chest, skin the color of storm clouds, two grey wings folding behind him. He is bare-chested and horrifyingly massive; dark magic coils like cloth around his lower half.
God's voice echoes, proud and terrible. "Behold—an Angel. The being that maintains life."
The Angel draws a sword of pure, grey light. Its aura pulses with crushing pressure; the cube hums as if it will split.
God snaps his fingers." But of course for it to be a great show, you all must fight at your best"
Power surges through the Stars—stamina and magic restored. Confidence blooms across the battlefield…all except in Nox, who watches with a hard, private sorrow. He hefts his shovel and thinks
"I'm sorry, Susan. I'm going to show a bit of my human emotions—I may not get another shot at him."
Boa coils, lightning crackling around him. "That Angel… it's the same one from visions, I had from the dungeon."
Gaia nods, summoning her mecha suit. "I had the same visions. It's him."
Kayle lifts her magic bow. "We'll beat the odds—again."
Ignis flares into flame. "Watch this, Tobias. I'll burn that bird to ash!"
Crank flexes muscles as he then says " There's no way they're taking all my animal friends!"
Tomi flexes his hands, feeling traces of Boa and Ignis's powers. "My Jester gifts didn't fully return, but I still have a spark of theirs."
Ortis forms a blood blade, steady and fierce. "When we stand together, nothing can stop us!"
Hopper stands next him as he carries a blood rifle that Ortis made him.
Hans and Corvex glow with moonlight. Jayden strikes a pose as a sliver of light erupts around him. "No fear. I'll pummel that Angel of death!"
The Angel raises his grey sword. The cube shudders. The countdown to combat begins, and every Star braces—some trembling, some smiling—ready for the impossible reset God has unleashed.
As the Stars brace themselves, the Angel shifts his gaze toward them. In a flash, he moves at the speed of light, detonations bursting across the battlefield as dozens of Stars are instantly slain.
Ortis shouts in disbelief, "What kind of power is this?!" Hopper steadies his blood rifle, his voice grim. "This Angel is already stronger than the Dark Lady we all faced."
Nox steps beside Boa and Kayle. "I told you both before—you'd slowly begin to understand everything. That time is now… That Angel's name is Abaddon."
Gaia's eyes widen. "My mother once mentioned Angels, but I never expected to actually see one."
Boa becomes curious. "Why does that Angel go around destroying worlds?"
Kayle narrows her eyes. "Now that you mention it, Gaia, my father spoke of Angels too. But that kind of information is only reserved for the highest ranks of nobles—the Head noble Families or the Gem Nobles."
As the Angel continues slaughtering Stars with ease, Nox speaks again, his tone dark. "You've all heard of World-Levels. When a planet climbs too high of a level, it is deemed to be destroyed."
Boa shakes his head. "What? But those destroyed worlds I saw weren't even developed enough to reach that kind of high level."
Kayle demands, "Yeah, it doesn't make sense at all. Explain, Nox!"
Nox grips his shovel. "Another time. For now, let your King lead you into this impossible battle."
He charges forward, diamond shovel swinging, releasing massive chunks of diamond and surges of earth into the air. He slams the ground, pinning Abaddon in a cage of soil and stone, but the Angel slices through it all in a single swing of his light blade.
Rainbow lightning rains down from the diamond chunks above, striking the Angel in a dazzling barrage, yet he tanks the blows without flinching. Nox meets him in a direct clash, the impact shaking the entire battlefield. Abaddon slowly overpowers him, then blasts him away with a flash of light from his free hand.
Gaia stares, frozen. "He makes us look like we're nothing…"
The Angel flashes across the battlefield again, and in a blink, Ortis, Hopper, Corvex, Hans, and Tomi are cut into pieces as their deaths were too quick.
Kayle's heart breaks at the sight of Tomi's death as a violent storm of power erupts around her. "Why can't I do anything?!" she screams.
Gaia trembles, her body paralyzed. "Is this… the feeling of fear? My body won't move. My brain is signals to my entire body to give up."
Jayden stands tall, defying the terror. "We must stand against the fear in our hearts! A hero always triumphs over his fears to save the day!" But in the next instant, the Angel cuts him down with a single strike of light.
Gilga spreads his arms and laughs, his voice filled with madness. "There's no point resisting! I am chosen by God! This is only a trial that I must endure! I can hear it loud and clear!" He is then killed in a single flash.
Crank roars as he transforms into his ultimate beast form, his muscles swelling with animal might. "I will not die without honor! I'll fight until the very end!" He soars into the sky, colliding with the Angel in a furious storm of blows.
Ignis watches, frozen in place. "I was supposed to show off to Tobias… but look at me. I look like a coward."
Boa pounds his chest with his fist, lightning sparking around him. "He is right! I must stand tall with great honor, so Jen's death won't be in vain!" He bursts into the air along with Kayle, joining Crank in the skies above. Explosions ripple across the sky as their battle with the Angels rages.
Gaia picks up to Nox, who coughs blood as a massive bruise is across his stomach. She grips him tightly. "Come on, Nox! If we fight together, maybe we have a chance!"
Ignis then sees Crank plummet to the ground, his body pierced with countless blades of light. Crank dies in a heap, as Ignis's flames waver. His knees shake. "If I falter now… Tobias's will to live will falter too… I'm supposed to show him the strength of my heart!" He slaps himself across the face, then ignites in a raging inferno, blasting into the sky to join the others.
Gaia turns toward Lars, furious. "Why aren't you helping?!"
Lars stands strongly, his aura growing denser. "I need time to learn the power I gained from Taeo. And when I'm ready, I'll fight him one on one. To show Father how much stronger I am compared to you fools."
Gaia growls but doesn't waste another word. She spreads her mecha's wings, lifting Nox into the air with her, and together they soar into the sky to join Boa, Kayle, and Ignis against the unstoppable Angel.
Together, the five Stars unleash everything they have. Arrows of wind streak through the sky, fireballs roar, pulse lasers cut the air, lightning cracks, and waves of earth magic shake the battlefield. Their combined force drives the Angel back, crashing him into the ground. As he lands standing up, wings beating with violent force.
Boa and Nox dart in first, lightning and rainbow lightning wrapped around their blades as they unleash a flurry of synchronized strikes. The Angel blocks, parries, and counters with blinding precision, but a sudden arrow from Kayle and a searing pulse laser from Gaia pierce his guard, exploding on impact. In that instant, Boa and Nox carve into him from opposite sides, their blades slicing deep enough to draw black blood from the Angel's body.
Ignis rockets forward, fist blazing, and drives a colossal fire punch into the Angel's chest. "I'll burn all of you!" he roars, his flames surging as he carries the Angel upward in a spiraling blast of fire.
Above them, countless diamond chunks erupt into the sky, charged with rainbow lightning by Nox's power. They merge with Ignis's flames, forming a storm of destruction. Boa ascends higher still, his Spirit Avatar towering behind him, and the massive blade of the Avatar comes crashing downward. The strike connects in unison with the fire and lightning, detonating in a cataclysmic explosion of colors so vast it shatters the walls of the cube battlefield.
As the smoke clears, Kayle's eyes sharpen. "That won't be enough to kill him. We need more power!"
Gaia steadies her mecha's arms, voice firm. "We'll distract him. But Kayle—you'll have to convince your brother to give his power to that arrow, or it won't be strong enough."
Kayle yells, still drawing her bowstring tighter, her magic aura surging. "There's no way in hell he'll help us!"
Nox refuses to waste time. He sweeps his hands, commanding every diamond chunk left in the battlefield to surge into the Angel. "Then we'll bring the fight to him!" The diamonds rain down, driving the Angel toward Lars.
The Angel slices through them with a single sweep of his light blade, then spreads his wings wider—two more unfolding from his back until four in total blaze with holy grey radiance. His gaze turns toward Lars.
"Oh," Lars says, stepping forward. "It seems the battle has come to me."
Lars smiles coldly. "So be it." With a flick of his wrist, he summons legions of digital constructs, weapons and turrets firing endless streams of digital projectiles. His ice wand adds a blizzard of razor shards, combining with the digital barrage to engulf the Angel. But the Angel sweeps his weapon once, erasing it all in a single radiant strike. He then charges directly, clashing with the gauntlets on Lars's fists, the impact shaking the battlefield.
As Lars holds the Angel's focus, the others regroup beside Kayle, who continues to charge her bow with more and more magic. Ignis looks at her, watching the arrow swell with divine energy. "Do we always have to depend on her?!"
Nox then says, "We don't have any other option."
Boa frowns, sweat running down his face. "I don't think we can generate as much power as we did on Doom Planet."
Gaia shakes her head, her mecha glowing faintly. "He's right what was I thinking… even with our combined powers, we don't have enough."
Kayle yells, her aura flaring brighter as she keeps charging her bow. "Then we'll ask for more from the others!"
Boa's eyes widen as the idea strikes him. "You just sparked an idea!"
He drops into spirit meditation, his body glowing as his spirit form rises out of him. The spirit soars across the battlefield to the realm of fallen souls. Boa's voice echoes through the void. "Fallen ones, give us your power so we can win!"
The dead answer. The souls begin to pour their power into the arrow, glowing streams of energy surging toward Kayle's bow. Suddenly Crank's soul appears, towering and proud. "All for honor!" His essence flares, and along with him, countless animal spirits burst forth, lending their power to the growing arrow.
Nox glances at the fractured walls of the cube, cracks of light breaking open to the arena outside. He smirks knowingly. "I'm sure "others" was implied to be everyone else that is watching us ."
Gaia follows his gaze, her eyes catching the sight beyond the broken walls—millions of Stars in the arena, survivors across countless sections, and the vast fleets of spaceships glowing in the skies above.
Ignis steps forward, flames roaring off his body. "You got this!" He thrusts his power into the arrow.
Nox nods firmly and channels his power, adding it to the growing storm around Kayle's bow.
Gaia then takes off, bursting upward through the shattered walls of the cube. Her voice amplifies, echoing into every ear within God's Arena.
"Everyone—please! Help us beat the impossible once more!"