Meanwhile, inside the meeting chamber of Black Paradise, the group continues watching the digital screen that is still unfolding the past.
Susan stands at the edge of their once-small island. Her hands glow with layered energy, digital grids, divine radiance, and faint traces of demonic light intertwining as one.
Across the horizon, tectonic plates groan, mountains shifts, and oceans pulls back.
Magic and technology fuse together, lifting colossal landmasses through the air. Entire slabs of earth float like puzzle pieces before locking into place around the island until it becomes a continent.
Buildings rise from beams of structured light. Towers assemble themselves midair. Roads weave into existence like glowing circuitry.
Near Susan and Rear's modest home, a massive warehouse stands newly constructed.
Inside, Hermes stands before an enormous planning board. Papers overlap in layers. Maps of branching universal trees. Strings connect locations across dimensions. Symbols mark fallen territories.
The main doors slide open of the warehouse then opens as Rear steps inside.
He studies the board briefly.
"You two have been busy a lot lately andI'm mostly here to provide power… or help on planning. What's the update?"
Hermes doesn't turn around.
"Susan's new AI is nearly finished constructing our new ship."
He circles another marked location on a vast diagram of a Universal Tree.
"I'm also mapping the remaining locations of my followers."
Rear raises a brow.
"You can still sense them that far? Even from another Universal Garden?"
Hermes nods, marking more glowing points.
"That is what being a God means. We tend to the Universal Tree. We nurture mortal life."
He pauses.
"That responsibility is what made me the God of Escape."
His hand tightens around the marker.
"Mortals always desire an escape route. And during the Shadow War… that desire is deafening."
He closes his eyes briefly.
"Many of my followers have already fallen to the demons. But many still pray. I can still hear them, every single one of their prayers."
His voice steadies.
"I will save as many of them as possible."
Rear nods thoughtfully.
"At this rate, we'll be heading to Adamas soon."
He walks to a machine and begins preparing coffee.
"There's something else you should know. The demon that's controlling the body of God Everest… is my elder brother. Gander."
Hermes turns sharply.
"Is that right? Are you strong enough to kill him?"
Rear exhales, calm but honest.
"No."
He sets the cup down.
"When I first awakened, we fought and I lost. I'm certain that he's even stronger than before."
Rear's gaze drifts toward the warehouse windows, where massive construction continues. A colossal ship frame is assembling piece by piece, its core chamber housing a spinning fusion of brilliant colors.
"To match him, I would need far more power."
He takes a sip of his drink.
"So with that we must focus on a long game strategy. We'll save as many as we can and gather power steadily."
A faint smile touches his lips.
"Estimating... it may take a few hundred years… perhaps longer… until I'm strong enough to even stand against him."
His eyes darken slightly.
"And by then, who knows what would change and how much more power my brother have already consumed. He might even be strong enough to move on to the next distant Universal Garden."
Silence lingers between them.
Hermes studies the glowing map.
Rear lifts his cup.
"But still… we must do our part."
He looks at Hermes.
"After all....we're all sinners trying to repent our wrong doings."
Hermes nods slowly with a heavy heart.
Meanwhile in the Star games in the memory realms, Ignis raises his voice.
"This memory is… false!"
The world trembles violently as the false reality begins dissolving into fragments of mist and stardust.
Ignis smiles as the illusion shatters.
"I was right! Of course I was!"
He points forward confidently.
"When I saw Corvex cut Hans open earlier, there was no Secret Treasure inside him."
His eyes sharpen.
"And Hans would never play something as straightforward as base defense. He'd always find a way to confuse the enemy. That's why he swallowed the Secret Treasure in the first place."
He clenches his fist.
"I'm sure in every loop… Hans always kept it inside him."
Ignis reappears in the magical stardust dimension.
Nearby, two other memory clouds tremble.
One shatters first as tobias steps out, calm and composed.
Ignis approaches immediately.
"Well? What was it?"
Tobias calmly says.
"That memory was true."
The second cloud then dissolves moments later.
Hans steps out.
"Mine was a fake."
Tobias nods thoughtfully.
"Voytek must had killed Corvex in that one, didn't he?"
Hans nods back.
"Yeah. But Gramps would never go against my wishes. Corvex is still part of our party."
The three exchange determined looks.
Ignis cracks his knuckles.
"Alright. Three more to go."
Before them, the remaining three memory clouds swirl ominously as each of them steps into their own cloud once more.
Tobias steps into his memory realm, watching all of the events happening around treasure island. Until he reaches the throne room in the ruined castle.
There, Memory Boa stands before Ignis, holding the Secret Treasure.
"It doesn't matter which team wins, you've defeated Crank with honor," Boa says calmly. "Here. You've earned it. We're still in the same party, after all."
Ignis bows. He reaches out and touches the treasure.
The world shatters into black.
Tobias narrows his eyes.
"This… is too easy."
Silence swallows everything.
"Something isn't right…"
He looks up, staring into the void.
"This memory is true."
The realm dissolves instantly.
He returns to the magical stardust realm. The two cloud-memories still hover nearby. Hans and Ignis remain trapped inside their own cloud, not yet finished.
Tobias turns slowly toward the Puzzle-Boss.
The creature's body is made of shifting pieces, glowing faintly with arcane energy.
Tobias stares at it.
"I get it now… This is another lie."
The Puzzle-Boss tilts its head. Its pieces rotate softly.
"Oh?"
Tobias steps forward.
"Anyone with even the slightest Ultra level could solve those puzzles like I did. And since you're a boss monster centered around puzzles… there has to be another layer to this."
At that moment, the cloud-memories dissolve.
Ignis and Hans stumble out.
"Mine was false," Ignis mutters.
"So was mine," Hans adds.
The Puzzle-Boss descends toward them.
"Well done," it says. "Now give me your answers and see if you have succeeded."
Hans is about to open his mouth but Tobias throws an arm out.
"Don't."
Ignis frowns. "What's wrong? Did we mess up?"
Tobias looks at Hans.
"Do you still have it?"
Hans nods. "I do."
He lifts his hand. The completed diamond puzzle floats above his palm, shining brilliantly.
Tobias points directly at the Puzzle-Boss.
"The real puzzle… is there."
Hans and Ignis look closer.
Three empty slots sit embedded in the monster's stomach.
Hans gasps. "You're right! This diamond piece fits perfectly!"
Ignis squints. "But the other two slots… they're circular…"
His eyes widen.
"Oh. Don't tell me."
Tobias nods.
"This is the secret ending. Of course it'll involve the Secret Treasures."
Shock ripples through them, Hans then inserts the diamond piece into the Puzzle-Boss's stomach causing every puzzle piece across the creature's body begins glow and spin slightly faster.
Tobias exhales.
"It never made sense. If we played the treasure hunt game fairly, the losing team shouldn't have to die."
He looks at the others.
"But this is the Star Games. The losers always die."
Silence.
"That means… we were never two teams. We were one."
The realization settles heavily.
"If the time loop continues, everyone dies. The loop only resets if the timer runs out or if either team touches the opposing team's Secret Treasure."
His voice sharpens.
"The only way to end it is for both teams to come here and insert their secret treasures into these slots. That's the secret ending. The secret hidden in plain sight."
The Puzzle-Boss chuckles.
"So you've figured it out. You should hurry… your time is running out."
Ignis curses. "But we still have a problem!"
Hans clutches his stomach. "Yeah… our Secret Treasure is in my stomach. I regret eating it."
Tobias grimaces.
"And the other problem is that we still have to convince the other team."
Hans nods. "If Corvex won the fight, it'll be hard to convince her. But if Boa won the fight, it'll make it so much easier for us."
"Come on!" Ignis shouts. "Let's move!"
They sprint through the exit portal returning back to treasure Island.
The sky shows the scoreboard and timer.
WHITE: 684
BLACK : 790
00: 19: 46
They then sees their White Star team members lie scattered across the ground.
Voytek standing along facing the Black Star team.
Corvex steps forward with confidence and injuries around her face.
"Looks like you failed."
Ignis scans the battlefield.
"What happened to Boa?!"
Corvex answers coldly.
"Simple. They lost. They were traitors among us… and when the rest of my team arrived, we worked together to eliminate them."
In the distance, Crank and Boa lie motionless, pierced by swords, spears, and arrows.
Back at the center of the island, Ignis steps beside Voytek, fury blazing in his eyes.
"You killed them?! They were—"
Hans grabs his arm.
"We don't have to fight!"
He steps forward desperately.
"Listen! I know this sounds insane, but this part of the game isn't the real puzzle! We have to-"
Corvex summons her blade in a flash of magic and points it at them.
"No more talking. We end this now."
Suddenly, one by one every member of her team devours their own Power Fruit.
Voytek pulls out three fruits.
"This is all I managed to grab when I escaped, take it."
Ignis takes one and eats it immediately. Tobias takes another and says.
"This is the worst outcome I envisioned…"
He stares at the sky.
"Time is running out. I hope in the next loop our bodies remember this. That we'll try again… and do it right."
Hans doesn't take a fruit.
"There's no guarantee we'll remember," he says firmly. "The only way out of this is convincing Corvex!"
"Hans!" Voytek shouts.
But Hans is already charging forward, metal staff raised, rushing straight into Corvex and her advancing team.
Voytek devours his Power Fruit as energy surges through his veins.
40% of his power returns for ten minutes.
At the front line, Hans moves like a storm, he ducks under a blazing fireballs.
Spins, deflects two energy spheres with his metal staff and knocks down a few Black Stars.
But they keep on coming as they begin to surround him.
Suddenly, Massive earth pillars erupt from the ground, launching Black Stars into the air.
Voytek stands in the rear, scroll glowing in his hand.
"I'm here Hans!" he shouts.
A blur streaks across the battlefield as it is Tobias.
The fruit he consumed has granted him three times his speed.
He slides in low and spins.
Breakdances straight into a Black Star's jaw.
Wind kicks up as his legs whirl like blades, knocking enemies aside in rhythmic, devastating motions.
Voytek snaps open another scroll.
Wind magic coils around Tobias's feet.
He plants his palms on the ground and begins spinning turning it into a full windmill.
The air twists violently, causing a tornado to form around him, lifting and hurling Black Stars across the battlefield.
Ignis roars and leaps forward and slams his fist into the earth.
The ground fractures outward in a shockwave.
With his fruit granting three times his strength, bodies fly in every direction.
Tobias glances toward Hans.
"Go, Hans! We'll handle this! You go for Corvex!"
Hans nods once and dashes forward.
Behind him, chaos erupts but ahead of him is Corvex waiting for him.
He slows as a translucent menu appears before her.
Power Fruit Consumed
Gain 55% of total power for 15 minutes.
Corvex looks at him coldly.
"Are you a fool? You're going to fight me like they did? Powerless… yet confident in your own strength?"
Hans tightens his grip on his staff.
"Corvex… we're wasting time here."
She vanishes with a step as their weapons collides.
They dash between trees at blinding speed.
Strikes, Slashes, and Clashes causes shockwaves that splits trunks in half.
Many trees crashes around them like falling giants pillars.
Hans blocks an incoming slash but Corvex's weapon changes into a great hammer, breaking his metal staff into two and slams him into the ground.
He crashes hard, air leaving his lungs.
Corvex lands nearby, as he weapon changes back to a sword as her blade is aimed at him.
"It's over," she says quietly. "You know I need this win. I need it… so I can help Nox."
Hans coughs.
"I know."
He looks up at her.
"But you'll never reach him if you do this…."
Her eyes narrow.
"Don't try to confuse me again with you words."
She steps forward and kicks him onto his back.
Hans gasps through the pain.
"We're in a time loop! Can't you see it?!"
She freezes, just for a second, something about this moment.
Hans on the ground and her standing above him.
It feels… familiar.
Hans sees it in her eyes.
"I know you felt it too," he says desperately. "That strange familiarity. That déjà vu. Like you've done this before."
Her lips tremble.
"If you do this, the loop resets and so with our memories. Only our bodies remember the feeling."
Corvex bites down hard enough to draw blood.
"Lies… all lies."
She thrusts her sword forward.
The tip of the blade pierces Hans's stomach.
Blood spreads slowly from his wound.
He winces but keeps eye contact.
"You're blinded by love," he whispers. "And that love will make you do anything to reach him… but you have to survive this first."
His voice weakens.
"Please… believe me. Do you think I'm the type to lie to my own party? We still have time."
Corvex breathes heavily.
Her grip trembles but at least she gives in to his words.
Slowly, she pulls the sword out. Hans gasps as blood flows.
"I cannot deny…" she says quietly. "That this feels familiar."
She looks away for a moment.
"But if what you said is true then I refuse to die before seeing the love of my life again."
She looks back at him.
"Tell me what we have to do."
Hans smiles through blood-stained teeth.
"I knew you'd come through."