As Kai's ship was struck by the Beast God's sudden assault, it shattered into countless fragments. Kai, too weak to even cry out, was hurled into the void. The serpent's single strike had destroyed the vessel completely, scattering its remains into the emptiness of space. His body, frail and bleeding, was flung away from the wreckage. Breath grew shallow, blood ceased to flow, and a numbing cold devoured every inch of his being. No sound could escape him in the vast silence of space as his body drifted downward into the void.
At that very moment, Kai's mind flickered with strange visions. He found himself drifting through a shroud of darkness laced with faint light. His gaze wandered as he floated, glimpsing countless forms scattered throughout the endless shadows of his mind. There, he saw a black-haired man with short hair, wearing a blue shirt, black trousers, and black sandals. Beside him was a little girl—short pink hair, radiant pink eyes, dressed in a white T-shirt beneath a pink jacket, with a short pink skirt.
Then came the towering black silhouettes: giants, demons, gods, beasts, dragons, inhuman forms, and alien races. An immeasurable host filled the void, some standing, some floating, some soaring through the darkness. Their voices rose as one:
"You cannot die yet… You are our hope… the final flame."
Kai, startled, cried out:
"What is this voice again? Who are you people? Why are you inside my head?"
Inwardly, he pleaded:
"If I've ever done good in this life, if there's any merit in me, then let all of this never have happened. Please, help me… my power… If I truly am the chosen one, then save me!"
His lips trembled as he whispered through tears:
"I don't want to lose my friends… I only just found them."
Over and over, he repeated those words as his body edged closer to death, his breath fading, his life slipping away, drifting endlessly in space.
Then—Kai opened his eyes. He was seated once more in the ship, beside the window. Ahead, Eugene was piloting, while Rese and Eugene were bickering about age, just as before.
Kai's heart trembled.
"What's going on? A dream? But it felt so real… Was it really just a dream?"
The voice returned in his head:
"We have heard you… Your chance has come… We have answered."
And then it fell silent.
Kai finally spoke aloud:
"Eugene, change the ship's course. We'll head toward another planet—anywhere else. We're not going east."
Rese suggested with a pout:
"Then northwest, maybe? The planet Siwa. Its civilization is advanced and modern. Honestly, not my kind of place—too little fantasy for my taste."
Turning away, cheeks puffed in mock annoyance, Rese sulked.
Kai reached over and gently embraced her, speaking softly:
"You're not alone, Rese. I'm sorry."
Then, glancing toward Eugene at the controls, he added:
"And I'm sorry to you too, Eugene."
Both Eugene and Rese noticed his strange behavior. Rese asked:
"What's wrong, boss?"
Kai stayed silent.
Eugene, still piloting, muttered:
"Siwa, huh… That planet is dangerous. Some of the Invaders are hiding there. Right now, that likely means him—Macto, Lord of Destruction."
Kai asked, his tone grim:
"Is he as dangerous as Kazat?"
Eugene shook his head.
"Far worse. He's one of the candidates for succession, to claim the vacant seat as Warden of the East. True, his raw power isn't as overwhelming as the others, but to us… he's lethal. Best not to cross him. Still, I can't deny—he was the very one who caused my village back on my homeworld to fall."
Kai clenched his fists.
"Then maybe we shouldn't go to Siwa."
Rese cut in:
"Boss, the ship's energy is running low. If we go any farther, the systems will shut down and we'll be left drifting in the void. By the time Mas and Ruby could reach us, we'd starve. Siwa is the only nearby planet we can reach now."
And so, the ship set its course straight toward Siwa.