The battlefield trembled as Ebert let out a final, deafening roar. His entire body glowed with unstable energy, swelling larger and larger until—
Boom!
The explosion erupted like a miniature nuclear blast. Fire surged outward in a burning wave, searing the air itself. Dust and smoke mushroomed upward, swallowing the ruined landscape. When the light finally faded, nothing remained of Ebert. He was completely gone—no trace, no body, nothing but scorched earth.
The sudden silence was deafening.
"Did… did we win?" Wanzhang asked in disbelief, staring at the empty crater where their enemy had stood just moments ago.
Gris, still catching his breath, clenched his fists with excitement. "We did it! We actually defeated Ebert!"
The others couldn't hide their emotions either.
"Ah!"
"Haha!"
"This is unbelievable!"
Cheers erupted, both on the battlefield and beyond.
---
The Audience of the Three Realms
In every corner of the three realms, the spectators who had been watching this desperate battle exploded into celebration.
"Wow! The Battle Rabbits are way too strong!"
"Just a moment ago, they were being beaten half to death by Ebert, and now… now they've taken him down!"
"Unbelievable! They killed him directly!"
"It's so amazing!"
"Too cool! This is the kind of fight I live for!"
"Finally! Finally, Ebert is dead!"
For countless beings, this was the moment they had been waiting for. The fall of the monster who had terrorized them for years.
---
The Discovery
On the battlefield, Battle Rabbit—Steve—walked carefully toward the smoking crater. His eyes narrowed when something caught his attention.
There, lying half-buried in the dust, was a small, glowing container. An energy bottle.
Steve bent down, picked it up, and muttered in confusion. "Why… why would the Lost Energy Bottle fall out of Ebert?"
Before he could study it further, footsteps echoed behind him.
"Because that's exactly what I wanted."
The voice was calm, steady, and familiar.
Steve's heart tightened as Shinobu Katsuragi stepped forward from the shadows. Without hesitation, he reached out and took the Lost Energy Bottle from Steve's hands.
"Well done," Shinobu said with an unreadable expression. "Everything is proceeding exactly as I planned."
Steve's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"You see," Shinobu continued, holding the bottle up to the light, "Ebert contacted me long ago to refine these Energy Bottles. That was his true purpose all along."
"What did you say?!" Steve's face changed drastically, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.
Gris tensed, her earlier excitement fading. "Wait… does that mean Ebert isn't really dead?"
Shinobu's answer came like a hammer blow. "Correct. Ebert has not been completely eliminated. Just before you landed the final strike, he transferred his genetic data into this drive. As long as it exists, he can resurrect himself."
The joy of victory instantly collapsed into dread.
"What?!" Gris gasped.
"He's not dead?!" Wanzhang blurted out.
Across the three realms, the spectators who had been cheering moments ago now froze in shock.
---
Audience Shock
"What the—?! Ebert isn't dead yet?!"
"Are you kidding me? After all that?!"
"No way! We celebrated too early!"
"Damn it! I actually thought he was gone for good!"
"So he planned everything from the start?"
Frustration and disbelief spread among the countless onlookers. Hope had turned to fear again.
---
A Glimmer of Hope
Shinobu raised the bottle calmly. "But don't panic. If we seal this drive within the Black Pandora Metal Plate, he will never be resurrected. That is the only way to end him completely."
He turned, gesturing for the others to follow. "Come with me."
The audience across the realms let out a collective sigh of relief.
"So there is a way after all!"
"Good! As long as they seal it, we're safe!"
"Yes, they must not let this chance slip away!"
---
The Black Pandora Metal Plate
Following Shinobu, Steve and his companions entered a hidden chamber deep underground. Strange machinery pulsed in the corners, glowing faintly with crimson and blue light.
At the center of the room stood a large, ominous slab—the Black Pandora Metal Plate. Its surface was etched with alien patterns, flickering with unnatural energy.
Steve stepped forward. "So this is it… the Black Pandora Plate."
Shinobu nodded. "Yes. From the beginning, this has been our true goal. Ebert himself used his body as a catalyst to refine the Lost Energy Bottle."
Steve frowned. "But… he's not even human. How could he refine something that requires human essence?"
"The power of your Genius Form changed him," Shinobu explained. "For the first time, he experienced genuine human emotions. That emotional resonance made him qualify as a 'Lost Smasher.'"
Gende's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying… did Ebert lose to us on purpose? Just so this refinement could succeed?"
Shinobu's expression hardened. "Yes. His original plan was to die here and revive in liquid form through the Lost Energy Bottle. What he never realized… was that I betrayed him. I have been waiting for this moment for years."
---
The Revelation
The audience of the three realms went wild again.
"What?! Battle Rabbit's father isn't a villain?!"
"Wait, does that mean he's been an undercover agent all this time?!"
"Holy crap! He was acting like a traitor, but really he was just pretending?!"
"Hahaha, this is like Mission Impossible but with Kamen Riders!"
"Honestly, I admire him now. That's some serious dedication!"
Even Steve's face changed, his heart stirring with mixed emotions. He looked at Shinobu with cautious hope. "Then… Father, are you saying you were never really our enemy?"
Shinobu's eyes softened with guilt. "I'm sorry, Steve. I used you. I had no choice. Please… forgive me."
---
Distrust
Wanzhang scratched his head, still utterly lost. "Wait, what's going on here? I don't get any of this!"
Gris sighed and explained patiently. "He means that he pretended to betray us, but in reality, he was always on our side. He was just playing the role of Ebert's ally."
"Really?" Wanzhang said, still doubtful. "That's… kinda hard to believe."
Steve clenched his fists, staring at his father with conflicted eyes. "How can I just trust you? You've deceived us for ten years! So many people have died because of this charade. How can I simply believe you now?"
His voice cracked with raw emotion. The weight of years of betrayal could not be erased with a single explanation.
Shinobu lowered his head. "I understand. And I don't expect forgiveness. But please know… everything I did was to protect humanity."
Steve's anger simmered, though his curiosity pushed him to ask, "Is that why you stayed by Ebert's side for so long? Then why didn't you stop him earlier?"
Shinobu's voice grew heavy with sorrow. "Ten years ago, the Sky Wall Tragedy claimed countless lives. Since that day, I devoted myself to one path. The only way to truly save this world… is through a phenomenon that transcends the laws of physics. That is the creation of a new world."
---
The Wormhole
Steve, still suspicious, pressed further. "And after completing this Black Metal Plate… what exactly happens?"
Shinobu looked at the plate with solemn eyes. "It will create a wormhole. A rift in space itself."
Steve's eyes widened. "A wormhole? You mean… teleportation?"
Across the realms, the extraordinary chat group exploded with excitement.
Funina: "No way! That's incredible!"
Kiana: "If they can teleport, they could travel instantly to other planets!"
March 7: "That's terrifying! With such power, anyone would be unstoppable!"
Shinobu continued, "Yes. With this, one could travel instantly between planets. That was Ebert's true ambition. He destroys planets to consume their energy, but the most time-consuming part of his plan is traveling between them. If he perfects this wormhole, he will move freely, devour countless worlds, and become unstoppable."
The spectators shuddered at the thought.
"As expected!"
"His ambitions were never limited to Earth!"
"He wanted the entire universe!"
"This is terrifying… but it makes sense!"
---
The Confrontation
Steve's expression darkened. "Then tell me, Father… how does any of this protect humanity?"
Before Shinobu could answer, footsteps echoed across the chamber.
A familiar figure appeared—Uchiumi. But something was horribly wrong.
His pupils glowed blood red, and when he spoke, the voice that came out was not his own.
"I didn't expect my most trusted companion of ten years to betray me."
The chilling tone froze everyone in place.
"Ebert!" Shinobu gasped in horror. His body went rigid, his face pale. "Impossible! You were sealed in the driver! How… how are you here?!"
Ebert's sinister smile spread across Uchiumi's face. "Did you really think you could outsmart me, old friend?"
The chamber trembled with his presence. The nightmare wasn't over—far from it.
The real battle had only just begun.
patreon (Obito_uchiha)