In God's Kingdom morning rises on the fifth day of the first game break. Gentle golden light fills Gaia's room as she stirs awake in her shimmering bed. Her mini polar bear guide pops into existence in a burst of soft magic, floating at her side.
"Last night was amazing!" the little bear exclaims, paws waving excitedly. "The Game Masters, God, and all the rest of the guides absolutely loved your concert!"
Gaia stretches, smiling with calm pride.
"I'm glad I could bring joy to even the divine."
She dresses, gathers herself, and steps out into the golden garden a place where sunlight bends in spirals and flower petals glow faintly with magic.
Kayle stands among the blossoms, waiting. She hears Gaia's footsteps and turns around, a warm smile forming immediately.
"As agreed," Kayle says, "it's finally time for us to catch up."
Gaia walks forward. They meet halfway and wrap each other in a tight, genuine hug as golden flower petals swirl around them, carried by a magical morning breeze.
Meanwhile, inside a golden tower, Khaos stands over Lars, their duel finally at its end. Lars is exhausted but still conscious, breathing hard on one knee. Khaos turns toward the bench where Gilga and Baron sit watching.
"This one here is special," Khaos says, nodding at Lars. "Special like me."
Gilga folds his arms, studying Lars with a knowing look.
"Lars is definitely special. His adaptability and growth increase rapidly as long as he's fighting someone stronger than him. But there's a downfall… whenever he falls asleep or gets knocked unconscious, he loses about seventy percent of everything he's gained."
Baron adds, legs crossed as she leans forward:
"And with a bit of luck thrown into that mix? Of course someone like him can reach the top two Star ranking."
Gilga nods.
"During the first stage, he was on another level of Ultra, one even beyond me. But once he rested, most of it has gone away. Still, every time he goes through this cycle, his base Ultra level improves. Slowly, but surely."
He looks at Khaos with genuine respect.
"Thanks to you, he's getting better. And thanks for not knocking him out. He'll need to stay awake for a while if he wants to reach a decent Ultra level again."
Lars wipes the blood from his lip, struggling to stand but smirking despite the pain.
He wipes his mouth and catches his breath.
"Where were you the whole time during the first stage?" he asks.
Gilga rises from the bench, stretching his back a little.
"Baron already told me their story while you two were fighting," he says. "To answer your question… they were, hmm, I guess you could call it bonding in their magic chain realm. At first, they fought each other. But when the third wave of doom arrived, the darkness nearly consumed both of them. Through their power of connection, they managed to merge into one to fight against it."
Lars scoffs, rolling his shoulder.
"Careful, Khaos. My father told me women are only temporary, they make you weak."
Baron stands immediately, eyes sharp.
"I'm not your traditional type of girl," she snaps. "I also seek godhood just as much as you!"
Khaos looks at Lars, then at Baron.
"You're right," he admits calmly. "I did grow weaker because of her. I'm less chaotic now. But fate works strangely… without her, I would've died. If this is the path I must take to godhood, then so be it."
Baron smiles faintly, her confidence glowing.
"Gilga also told me his story," she says. "The one about how he met the real God."
Khaos's eyes narrow with sudden interest. He steps closer, lowering his voice.
"Tell me everything," he says.
Meanwhile on Planet Isha, in B&B Town, Vel sits at the bar with the Summoner, the two of them sipping glowing blue drinks. The Summoner laughs softly at something Vel says just as the door opens.
Rose walks in.
Vel waves her over.
"What took you so long?"
Rose slips onto the stool between them, exhaling.
"I had to secretly check on my family… and check up on my friends still competing in the Star Games." She turns to the Summoner. "But before we get into all that, what should we even call you?"
The Summoner raises her glass.
"My name is Elizabeth. But call me by my short name, Ezzy. I was that undead summoner you and your friends fought in that dungeon."
Rose blinks, surprised.
"How did you even end up here?"
Ezzy takes a slow sip before answering.
"Well… my father and I tried to bring back our universe. Most of our spirits were stored inside my father's soul, but after Boa defeated him, we moved into Boa's soul instead. We even helped many of you during the Dark Wars."
Vel nods.
"Yeah, I remember. When the pitch-black darkness almost consumed all of us, I could feel spirits keeping us barely alive. And Boa eventually empowered me to protect everyone until—"
Rose finishes it softly.
"—until I arrived and destroyed the darkness on Doom Planet."
She looks at Ezzy again.
"How did your universe get destroyed?"
Ezzy sighs and takes another drink.
"It's a long story. But to summarize… a long time ago, our universe became corrupted by some dark force. Eventually, the angels destroyed everything."
Rose stiffens.
"The Angels… just like the ones from the Star Games. There's so much we still don't know."
"Yeah…" Ezzy nods. "Even I don't know how the corruption began. But thanks to Boa, I get to live another life."
Vel leans forward, excited again.
"What's the update on the others in the Star Games?"
Rose smiles.
"They're doing fine. And most of the Stars really seem to love your song, Vel."
Vel beams proudly.
"Hey, let's watch the second stage together when it begins! I want to see more of Tomi and Kayle!"
Meanwhile, in a distant graveyard, Wade pushes Yunbam's wheelchair along a quiet stone path. Yunbam sits with his hands folded, eyes lowered toward a gravestone marked "Jen."
Wade bows his head.
"You will be missed, Jen…"
Yunbam places a hand over his chest.
"Captain Jen… I will make you proud. As the new Boa."
A breeze passes through the lonely fields before Wade gently turns the wheelchair and guides Yunbam back toward town.
As they reach the outskirts, Wade glances down at him.
"Son, wouldn't you also like a BR-Body? It'll take a long time before you can walk again."
Yunbam shakes his head slowly.
"Father… I am the new Boa. I must act with high honor and I won't discard this body of mine. If Boa was here he would tell me to live my life as long as possible with the mortal body I was born with."
Wade smiles sadly, respecting his resolve.
Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Black Paradise, Basil enters a towering building. The lobby is sleek and dark, lit by neon lines running along the walls. As he steps forward, Kelay approaches him immediately.
"Follow me," she says, leading him into an elevator.
The elevator rises silently, opening into Nox's command room, a vast chamber filled with advanced tech, glowing data screens, and floating holograms.
Susan materializes in her digital form light weaving itself into a woman's silhouette.
"Welcome, Basil," she says. "You are the first representative of the resistance from Planet Isha, the group known as the BOAS. Now that you're here, I must brief you on Project Universe, because we will need your help when the time comes."
Basil raises a hand.
"Hold on. One question first, are you truly an AI? Or were you once human?"
Susan steps around him, her form flickering gently.
"I am an AI born from the memories of this human. I exist only to carry out her final purpose and fulfill her wishes."
Basil nods.
"Alright then. Let's hear it. I've been waiting to learn about this project that'll save our universe."
But just as Susan is about to begin, her head snaps toward a distant holographic screen. A digital alert beeps sharply. She pulls the screen closer with a swipe of her hand.
A live feed shows Kairo aboard a spaceship, firing a massive laser directly into the ocean.
Susan's expression turns urgent.
"We'll have to discuss this later. We have a problem."
Basil's eyes widen.
"That's Kairo!"
The screen zooms in as Susan analyzes the energy output. Her voice lowers.
"This Gem Noble was able to obtained fragments of our technology during the last battle. He has now forged it into a weapon."
Basil clenches his fists.
"With that… he can destroy the outer layer of R.A. and breach this place!"
Kelay drops to one knee, bowing deeply.
"This is my all fault. Let me go there again and I'll take down that Gem Noble myself!"
Susan nods sharply.
"Suit up and stop him."
Basil steps forward.
"We'll help you too."
Back in the golden garden of God's Kingdom, sunlight filters through the glowing petals as Gaia and Kayle finish most of their long conversation. The air is warm, peaceful and almost sacred.
Gaia catches a golden pedal.
"It's a bit strange," she says with a soft smile. "To see you in your mother's face… but I know the young Dustin is still in there."
Kayle smiles back.
"And you're still exactly the same. Your performance last night was unbelievable. I'm glad you finally crossed that off your bucket list."
Gaia laughs lightly, then breathes in the fragrant air around them.
"Once I win the Star Games, I'll bring you back into my new universe a place far away from all of this."
Kayle nods.
"You really do have a high chance of winning. And if I win… I'll bring you and all my friends back too. But before that happens, I still need my revenge."
Gaia tilts her head.
"You could've taken it during the first stage, but you stopped. Why? Do you want to hurt your father mentally as much as possible before you finally do it?"
Kayle looks down, her voice steady but conflicted.
"You're half right… but the other half is that I saw the old Lars. The one in those flower fields happy and innocent. Maybe it's just too soon. The perfect time to finish everything will be in the fifth or sixth stage because I don't have Ultra Syndicate like you to store away those emotions into another thought."
Gaia gently holds Kayle's hands.
"Just remember to keep yourself alive. Don't let vengeance blind you completely, okay?"
Kayle pulls her into a tight embrace.
"I'm not as smart as you," she whispers, "but I'm glad I still have a friend like you. I should've told you sooner… but you're right. I was blinded by vengeance."
Meanwhile, at a golden park, Ignis finishes telling Tobias everything about his adventures with his new friends. The two of them lie beneath a shimmering golden tree as Tobias lets out a long breath and says,
"Wow… you had so many close calls. If I had watched all of that happen, I wouldn't survive it. My heart is way too weak for that kind of scene."
Ignis laughs softly, patting Tobias on the shoulder.
"It's okay, Tobias. That's why I'm here to tell it to you. But hey, before we leave the Games, we should really go meet them."
Ignis gets up and stretches. Tobias slowly sits up, hesitating before he says,
"About that… I want us to continue."
Ignis freezes, shocked.
"Are you serious?!"
Tobias nods, eyes shining with determination.
"After hearing what you went through with them, it'd be a shame to walk away now. And honestly… I need to go back with a story of my own. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I wasted a chance like this, with such a mind as great as mine."
Ignis's eyes light up. He jumps with excitement.
"Alright! And remember, if the next stage splits us up again, don't panic or let your emotions control you, you're way smarter than you look. We can go so far together. And now that I've got new friends to lean on, our chances in the second stage are even better if we meet up with them again."
Meanwhile, on the other side of God's kingdom, Boa swims slow, steady laps across a crystal-blue pool while Crank trains nearby, throwing sharp shadow punches into the air. A while later, the two of them settle into a steaming golden hot tub. For a moment, neither speaks. Only the bubbling water fills the silence.
Then Boa finally says,
"Let's do it for Jen. And don't let your emotions blind you from honor."
Crank nods, jaw tight.
"I know… but I'm done being nice. I'm done being weak. If I stay like that, we won't get far."
Boa leans back, letting the rising bubbles crack and pop against his skin.
"It's my fault too," he says. "Back then… we all kind of turned you into someone else. But you're right. If we want to survive the Games, we can't stay so laid back. We need our bodies and minds to be on tip top shape."
Crank slowly lifts his fist, eyes narrowing as determination fills his face.
"Yeah… no more Crank. From now on… there's only Carnage."