In Black Paradise, inside the meeting room, Susan steps forward. Every eye remains fixed on her.
"I've also lived for a very long time," she says calmly. "I am 1,117 years old. I was created by this human."
The digital screen lights up, displaying the image of the real Susan, human, brilliant, standing inside a laboratory as she constructs a highly advanced AI clone of herself.
"I was given her name after her death," Susan continues, "and a mission… Project Universe."
The image fades.
"Living this long gave me the opportunity to uncover the origins of everything. No one truly knows which Universal Garden came first but there is a Superior Garden."
The screen shifts.
Towering universal trees of pure light stretch endlessly upward, each one containing countless galaxies and entire universes within their branches as these trees are the tallest among all Universal Gardens.
"This Garden is called Eldaphora."
The Celestial God of Gods is being displayed on the screen.
"The Gods who reside there exist beyond any Gods we've encountered. However, among them was one who desired absolute rule."
The screen shows divine beings clashing, God against God.
"He even challenged Eldaphora himself… and lost."
Eldaphora stands victorious as the losing God is casted away.
"He was spared," Susan says, "but exiled from the Garden. He was placed near our own Gardens Adamas and Everest. This exiled God carried many names, but most mortals came to know him as Omega."
The image shifts again Omega falling into the void.
"Eldaphora, merciful even then, granted Omega his wish, the power to become a God of Gods himself and create his own Universal Garden."
Susan pauses.
"But Omega did not seek the vision that Eldaphora had of him. He only sought revenge."
The screen reveals Omega's Garden, nothing but a single universal stem, darkened and twisted.
"His negative emotions poisoned it. That stem then grew into a dark universal tree, radiating overwhelming negative energy. Its corruption began bleeding into neighboring Gardens."
The screen zooms outward as Adamas and Everest approach the edge of their Gardens, witnessing the horror.
"At first, they intended to destroy it. But inspired by Eldaphora's kindness, they chose another path."
Golden light pours toward Omega's Garden.
"They released their own positive energy, hoping to heal it. Hoping to change Omega himself."
The Garden begins to brighten.
"For a time… it worked."
Hope flickers.
"They believed Omega might yet be saved. Together, Adamas and Everest entered his Garden to heal him them self. But it was all a trap, there kindness could not overwrite his madness."
Omega then strikes back as Adamas and Everest fights together, defending the dark attacks.
"They barely escape."
The screen shows Adamas and Everest fleeing but wounded.
"They return to tend to their Gardens… but Everest's injuries are fatal."
The image darkens as Everest collapses among her universal trees.
"Corruption spreads through her celestial body. With her death it gave birth to the demons."
The screen fills with chaos as demons pours out of Everest's body as they then spread through the Garden, devouring all life.
"A holy war erupts. Gods and Angels fought back as hard as they could, but the demons prove too much."
Two massive shadows emerge from the armies of demons.
"Among them stand two beyond all other demons," Susan says gravely. "Gander and Rear."
They were so powerful that they were able to corrupt Gods and Angels alike, bending them to their will, causing Everest's Garden to turn completely darken.
Silence fills the meeting room.
Ezzy slowly rises from her seat, body trembling.
"So… that's how my world ended," she says quietly. "I was also from Everest Garden."
She swallows hard with pride.
"We barely escaped and came to this Garden searching for a planet powerful enough to let us ascend as Gods ourselves."
Her eyes lower.
"But we failed and that doomed planet became… a part of the Star Games."
Meanwhile, in the Star Games, inside the white room, the red balloons continue popping one by one, splattering the floor until several inches of blood coat the ground.
Panic spreads.
Stars run in every direction, slipping and splashing through blood pools as they desperately search for clues.
Tobias remains on his knees, hands clamped over his ears, trembling in fear.
Hans looks at Voytek and says,
"We should join the others and look for clues before we drown to death."
Voytek nods. "Agreed."
They move, blood splashing with every step.
Ignis inhales deeply, then kneels in front of Tobias. He gently pulls Tobias's hands away from his ears.
"Calm down," Ignis says firmly. "This isn't over yet."
Tobias slowly opens his eyes and meets Ignis's gaze of burning determination.
"Remember the first stage of the games?" Ignis continues. "I thought it was over too, when I was trapped inside that dragon's belly."
Tobias listens closely.
"But Boa came for me," Ignis says. "We fought together and survived."
He grips Tobias's shoulder.
"This is just like that moment. Now it's your time to shine!"
A spark of hope flickers in Tobias's eyes as he remembers Ignis telling that story during the first game break.
Ignis presses on.
"Don't forget why you entered the Star Games. You wanted get rid of your mental flaws and you wanted to challenge yourself, to become the God of everything!"
He smiles slightly.
"You're the smartest man I know back home. You can save us. Just breathe… and think."
Tobias steadies his breathing. Slowly, he rises to his feet.
"That's it," Ignis says. "We still have some time."
Tobias turns, scanning the room. Stars panic everywhere. Balloons continue popping. Blood keeps rising.
Across the room, Hans says to Voytek,
"We've checked everywhere. There's nothing here."
Voytek shakes his head.
"No. We're just not seeing it. It has to be hidden."
Tobias's eyes suddenly lock onto a blood-soaked wall.
He steps closer.
As panicking Stars rush past, fresh blood splashes against the surface. The streaks drip downward and a word begins to form.
Life.
Tobias's eyes widen.
Without looking away, he says,
"We need to splash blood onto the walls. Now."
Ignis immediately scoops blood with his hands and throws it against the wall.
"Everyone!" Ignis shouts. "Do what I'm doing! Trust me!"
Hans and Voytek also starts splashing blood onto other sections of the walls. One by one, the remaining Stars follow, frantically coating every wall.
Ignis steps back toward the center.
As the blood spreads and drips, letters emerge beneath it.
Ignis reads aloud:
"In life, once you've reached the top,
you must remember who you once were.
Only then can you dig through
the true meaning of life."
Voytek exhales sharply.
"A riddle? It must be a hint. Think, everyone!"
The room falls silent as minds race.
Then Tobias figures it out first and speaks.
"I've got it," he says quietly. "It's the only thing that makes sense."
All eyes turns toward him, waiting for his answer.
Meanwhile, inside the black room, Boa raises his hand toward the blue ceiling as it slowly descends.
"So we really can't use magic… or any items."
Panic erupts.
Stars scatter, shouting and running in circles as they desperately search for a way out.
Crank cracks his knuckles and flexes his arms.
"I don't have much of a brain for these kind of puzzle rooms," he says with a serious face, "but I've got this!"
He leaps high into the air and slams his fist into the ceiling.
A massive shockwave ripples outward but the ceiling doesn't crack.
Instead, the skin on Crank's knuckles splits open. Blood splatters across the blue surface.
Crank crashes back down, shaking his hand.
"Damn. That thing's way tougher than it looks."
Boa squints upward.
As the blood drips, glowing letters begin to form on the ceiling.
He reads aloud:
"The declared hero shall offer life to the earth
in order to split the sky for all of humanity."
A Star gasps.
"That's the hint! That's how we escape!"
The room buzzes with frantic thinking.
One Star steps forward confidently.
"I get it! I'll be the hero!"
An orange aura ignites around his body.
"What now?" he asks.
Others quickly follow, declaring themselves heroes. Orange light flares also around them.
Crank also steps forward
"Guess I'll be the hero too..."
Boa steps toward him.
"Crank, wait. We should observe first, before we takes any kind of action."
Crank then leaps again and punches the ceiling, blood splattering everywhere.
but nothing happens.
He lands hard.
"Damn it. Thought that would do something."
The ceiling continues descending.
Corvex speaks calmly, eyes sharp.
"Judging the speed of the falling ceiling and the height of this room we've only got around five minutes left."
She looks at the glowing Stars.
"And based on the hint… all who declare themselves heroes must die for the rest of us."
The room is silence as the orange-glowing Stars freeze in horror.
One stammers,
"T-That can't be right—"
Corvex steps forward and punches him square in the face.
Shattering his nose. Blood sprays across the floor as he falls onto the floor.
She plants her foot on his chest, pinning him down.
"Now this is progress," she says coldly. "See that?"
She points to the floor.
To everyone else, it's just a blood-soaked black tile.
The injured Star panics.
"Get off me!"
Boa narrows his eyes.
"She figured something out."
From Corvex point of view, she is the only one who can see it.
The tile beneath the blood is glowing orange.
Suddenly Boa's gaze shifts toward Crank to see a few glowing tiles around him
He then looks down at his own foot to see that he's standing in Crank's blood.
"…So that's what she's talking about," Boa mutters.
Crank frowns.
"What are you talking about? I don't see anything except my blood."
Boa raises his voice.
"Listen up everyone! I've already solved it! We don't have must time left so listen close!"
Corvex smirks.
"So he figured it out already."
Boa grabs another Star's hand and pulls her forward, forcing her foot onto Crank's blood on the floor.
"The meaning of life is blood," Boa declares.
"Only non-heroes who've made contact with the blood of a hero can see the tiles."
The woman gasps.
"He's right, I can see them!"
In one quick motion, Corvex knocks down every declared hero as they are send flying towards Crank, who catches them within seconds.
The other five heroes and Crank are bleeding on the ground as their blood are combined together as a large pool.
Corvex and Boa step onto the pool of blood.
Suddenly, they can see entire floor lights up, tiles glowing orange around them.
Boa turns to the group.
"Everyone! Step onto the blood and spread it with your footprints to every tile in this room!"
One by one, the Stars comply.
As each bloody step lands, another tile ignites.
The room begins to glow.
Corvex glances at Boa.
"Aren't you a smart one… no wonder you're Nox's rival."
Boa's expression hardens.
"Don't say that name around me."
Minutes later, the blood has been spread across every tile.
The floor glows completely orange. Yet the ceiling keeps descending closer and closer.
Panic then explodes among them all.
Corvex exhales slowly, disappointment flickering across her face.
"You're not as perfect as Nox," she says flatly. "Not even close."
Boa turns toward her.
"What are you—"
"I thought you truly solved it," Corvex continues. "But I was wrong."
She steps forward.
In a blur, she grabs one of the still-glowing Stars by the throat.
Her fingers tighten.
"I'll handle the rest," she says calmly, squeezing harder.
"You can stay here and figure out what you misunderstood."
The Star claws at her arm, gasping, then snap the body goes limp.
The remaining glowing Stars scream and scatter.
Crank is the only one who doesn't run as he faces Corvex who stands in front of him.
"You'd take too long to kill," she says. "So you'll be the only one."
She dashes past him, chasing the others.
Boa's eyes widen as realization hits.
"…I see it now," he mutters.
"I misread the hint."
Crank looks at him.
"Huh?"
"There can only be one hero."
They glance toward Corvex as she catches another glowing Star and locks her arm around their neck.
The ceiling is now fifteen feet above them, still descending slowly.
Boa clenches his fists.
"She needs time."
He looks at Crank.
"When you punched the ceiling earlier, it stopped for half a second."
Crank blinks.
"…Yeah?"
"We're going to keep doing that," Boa says.
"Over and over. Buy her enough time."
Crank smile despite the blood dripping from his knuckles.
"Say less."
Crank leaps first, slamming his shoulder into the ceiling.
The ceiling halts just for half a second as crank falls.
Boa jumps immediately after, driving his kick upward.
Halting it for another half second.
Again and again the repeat this taking turns, leap, strike, fall. Each impact barely delaying the inevitable, but together slowing the descent enough to matter.
Meanwhile, in the white room, the blood has risen high, only five feet of air remains beneath the ceiling.
The red balloons keep popping, one after another, each burst adding more blood to the churning sea below. Several Stars have already drowned, motionless bodies drift beneath the surface, vanishing into the red.
Tobias, Ignis, Hans, Voytek, and barely a dozen others are still alive, struggling to stay afloat.
Swimming is almost impossible, the blood is thick and heavy.
Voytek hooks an arm under Hans's shoulder, holding him up as Hans kicks frantically to stay above the surface.
"Are you sure this will work?!" Voytek shouts over the splashing.
A wave crashes into Tobias's face. He coughs, barely keeping himself afloat.
"This is—" he gasps, fighting the current, "—the only way it makes sense!"
Hans sucks in a shaky breath and yells,
"I hope you're right!"