"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves."
Mark 10:16.
Nova's Compound was quiet as everyone gathered around a large computer screen. The meeting with the government administrators would begin in one minute. Talus sat with crossed arms, "So this meeting will start any minute, it's about time." The second these words had left his mouth a figure appeared on the screen, a large man with a cigarette. Hello "I'm General White, as you may know we only do such calls during the most drastic situations. This is such a case. Earth-02… Earth-02 is currently being overrun with vegetation and there seems to be only one culprit, Doctor Shashin 写真." A picture of a man wearing a gas mask appeared on the monitor was a man wearing a gas mask. "Dr. Shashin is a radical environmentalist and has been working for years to have vegetation re-conquer the earth, to destroy the virus that is humanity. He has been doing this for years and he has hid from the government for years. And now it seems he has finally succeeded in his goal to destroy humanity and return the world to nature." A tense silence hung in the room. The image of Dr. Shashin flickered slightly on the monitor, the glassy lenses of his gas mask reflecting the cold blue glow of the screen.
Nova leaned forward, his voice steady. "And you're certain it's him?" General White exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "Satellite imagery confirms it. Massive plant growth—trees overtaking cities, vines strangling entire buildings. It's unnatural, accelerated beyond anything we've seen before. The source? A facility beneath the old Kyoto ruins. Shashin's been operating there in secret." Talus scoffed. "You mean the government let him operate there in secret. What a joke." White's jaw tightened, but he didn't take the bait. "It doesn't matter how he pulled this off. What matters is stopping him. That's why I'm calling you." Nova exchanged glances with her team. "Tshhh, fine, I guess we'll clean up their damned mess." "Not just go in. We need you to neutralize him." White's voice was firm. "You're the only ones who can get close enough." The screen shifted to a live satellite feed—dense forests swallowing highways, root systems splitting entire city blocks, thick canopies of green consuming the steel and concrete remains of civilization. Amid the chaos, a single clearing remained untouched: the entrance to Shashin's underground lab. "You'll be deployed immediately," White continued. "Your mission: infiltrate, shut down whatever tech he's using, and eliminate him if necessary."
Talus smirked. "When isn't it necessary?" Nova ignored him. His mind was already working through the logistics, the dangers. The vegetation wasn't just reclaiming the land—it was moving, growing unnaturally fast. That meant one thing: Shashin had found a way to control it. And if he could control it, he could turn it against them. He [Nova] turned back to the screen. "We'll handle it." White nodded. "Good. Your transport leaves in one hour." The screen flickered and went dark. The room was silent for a moment before Talus shrugged. "Uh, I feel like if we help them they won't learn anything." Nova stood. "Gear up. We don't know what we're walking into." But deep down, he had a feeling they were about to learn just how powerful Shashin had become.
Hermes had a dream where she saw a beautiful girl with blonde hair, green eyes, who confronted a man who is presumed to be her father. The man had turquoise hair, was over 20 feet tall, and sat on a golden throne. The man bellowed: "You stand before the Gods of the World and the Logos of the Noor and you claim that you have come to enlighten the gods, to declare that the gods are mortals, and that the mortals are the idols they have erected to worship through the act of creation. I tell you to stop this (heresy). For if you continue this the world will fall upon you. Alrisa, I demand you end this." Alrise declared triumphantly: "No." Upon this images began to flash of her being burned to death by the gods and the howling of the souls of the elderly and the orphans. Hermes jolted awake… today was the day that Nelly's little sister Baala was visiting her and they were supposed to shop around the city of Echo-07.
Hermes sat up in bed, her breath unsteady as the images of her dream lingered in her mind. The golden throne, the towering figure, the defiance of Alrisa—all of it felt too vivid to be just a dream. It felt like a message. But from whom? And why now? She rubbed her temples and exhaled sharply. Dwelling on it wouldn't help. Today was supposed to be a normal day—if anything in her life could be called normal. Baala was coming, and Nelly had made it clear that she expected Hermes to be on her best behavior. She got up, throwing on a long coat over her usual gear. The city of Echo-07 was a strange mix of old-world charm and futuristic ambition, a place where market stalls sat beneath hovering advertisements, where people still bartered in the streets even as drones patrolled overhead. The thought of wandering through it with Baala and Nelly was almost grounding. Almost. By the time she stepped into the kitchen, Nelly was already preparing breakfast. The smell of coffee and something sweet filled the air. "You look like you saw a ghost," Nelly observed, handing her a cup. Hermes took it gratefully. "Something like that." Before Nelly could press for details, a chime sounded from the front door. She grinned. "That'll be Baala."
Hermes watched as Nelly opened the door, revealing a young woman with wild auburn curls and bright amber eyes. Baala looked between them before breaking into a wide grin. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." "Only Hermes being broody," Nelly teased. "Come in." Baala stepped inside, her gaze immediately locking onto Hermes. "So, you're the one preaching about the oneness of God again? You always did have a flair for controversy." Hermes smirked. "And you always did have a flair for causing trouble." Baala laughed. "That's why we'll get along just fine today." As the trio made their way into the city, the weight of Hermes' dream remained with her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was at play—something that went beyond the mission with Nova's team, beyond Earth-02, beyond even the looming war.
Baala went down to the town square and began to preach the word of Monotheism she declared: "For God - Exalted is He - created the world so that you would not put ANY Idols before him, you would not worship ME, you would not worship yourself and you would not worship any god or demon you would only worship him. For those who worship anything other than him they will be met with wrath, but he is merciful. For His mercy always prevails over his wrath." These words resonated among the demons, in the demon realm things like metaphysics are what the reader might refer to as (traditional religion) was hardly ever discussed. So there was hardly any anger at all. The people of the demon realm broadly speaking were naturally materialistic and therefore were largely confused rather than viewing it with hostility or blind acceptance. Baala meanwhile was picking up her younger sister at the train station. Someone in the audience declared: "How do you know that this God is indeed real. For afterall, he may just be a figment of your imagination." Where Hermes declared: "Do deny your creator is to deny yourself, all you have done is commit idolatry by declaring that this Universe is your god, you are therefore a Polytheist." The man who was a demon like the others with red horns looked puzzled but some of the other demons were intrigued and continued to listen to Hermes' preaching.
Meaning Nelly picked up a little 10 year old girl at the train station. She was a goat-girl just like her older sister. Nelly had written to her little sister Baala for days and to their parents, she told her sister that as she was climbing the tower she became friends with a Prophet 'Hermes,' she explained that she was kind of distant and it seemed like she had a difficult time letting people in. Nelly had always been the responsible one. When their older brother was executed outside the tower—his body left as a warning to the workers who still clung to the hope of liberation—it was Nelly who kept Baala from seeing what had become of him. It was Nelly who bit back her own grief and played the part of the strong one, whispering to Baala that everything would be fine, that they would survive, that they would not break. Even if she wasn't sure she believed it. But Baala had been too young to understand the full weight of what had happened. Now, years later, she was old enough to ask the questions Nelly didn't want to answer. They sat at a small café in Echo-07, the hum of conversation and market vendors blending into the background noise. The air smelled of spice and oil, the sharp scent of metal and machinery a constant reminder of the city's industrial core. Baala stirred her tea absentmindedly, her amber eyes fixed on the swirling liquid.
"You never talk about him," she finally said. Nelly didn't look up. "There's nothing to talk about." Baala scoffed. "That's a lie." She set her cup down, her voice softening. "He died for what he believed in, didn't he? You used to believe in it too." Nelly clenched her jaw. "Belief didn't save him." Baala leaned forward, her expression unreadable. "So that's why you don't talk about it? Because it hurts? Or because you think he was wrong?" Nelly exhaled sharply. "I think he was idealistic. He thought the Party could change things, that they could outmaneuver the regime if they were just careful enough, just clever enough." She shook her head. "They weren't. He wasn't. And now he's gone." Baala was quiet for a long moment. Then, barely above a whisper, she asked, "Do you blame him?" The question hit harder than it should have. Nelly had spent years pushing down the answer, pretending she didn't have one. But now, faced with Baala's searching gaze, she couldn't run from it.
"I blame the world," she said finally. "I blame the regime for killing him. I blame the Party for letting him think they could protect him. I blame myself for not stopping him." She looked down at her hands. "But no, I don't blame him. He was trying to build something better. He just… didn't get the chance." They had always believed that the state was noble and just and disagreed with their brother. They agreed with him that the Demiurge was not involved in the oppression and that the oppression was kept secret from her. The disagreement lay in that they disagreed there was any oppression at all. They found him lying in the street barely holding on to life with the other members of the Demon Workers Party and Labor Union as the steam and gears rolled behind them. He coughed up: Baala studied her for a moment, then nodded. "I think he'd want us to keep going. To find our own way to make things better. Maybe this girl (Hermes) you've told me about, can help us make it better." Nelly let out a tired laugh. "And how do you propose we do that? Preach monotheism to demons until they suddenly decide to care about justice?" Baala smirked. "You'd be surprised how many are willing to listen. The thing she preaches doesn't matter in the end for me, but maybe it can help people change, but you're gonna say I'm naive, you're gonna say nothing false or true could make them do anything." She said this as tears fell on her cheeks. Nelly sighed, shaking her head. "You really are his little sister." Baala took her hand. "And so are you." For the first time in years, Nelly didn't pull away.
Meanwhile with Nova descending towards Earth-02 with the others. The drop onto Earth-02 was rough. The transport ship rattled violently as it tore through the planet's corrupted atmosphere, thick with spores and pollen from the overgrown jungle that had once been cities. Through the viewport, Nova watched as vines the size of skyscrapers curled around the ruins of human civilization, pulsing with an eerie green light. The sight sent a shiver down his spine—this wasn't just nature reclaiming the land. This was something else entirely. "Brace yourselves," Ungar's mechanical voice boomed through his helmet. "We're coming in hot. I'll be fine but the rest of you could be corpses if you're not careful." The ship cut through the thick canopy, its engines burning through the dense foliage as it landed with a deafening crash. The team disembarked immediately, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the unnatural wilderness around them. "We move fast," Nova ordered. "Find Shashin's lab and put an end to this before it spreads beyond Earth-02. And to more of Earth-02 for that matter, so far this plague has been confined to southern Japan." But before they could take another step, a ripple surged through the air, distorting reality like a cracked mirror. The jungle seemed to shift, warping as figures emerged from the shimmering anomaly. They stepped forward in formation—seven figures, each unnervingly familiar. Nova's blood ran cold. He recognized them all. Himself. Some of his team. But… different.
Daniel-B stood at the front, an elf with spiky red hair and a bandana tied tightly around his forehead he declared he was the Gate-Keeper of Planet Helios and he had come to liberate this foreign planet of the demons who had corrupted it and abused the earth, eyes sharp with authority. Beside him, Narcis-B exuded a composed stillness, his light-elf features serene, his Buddhist robes draped effortlessly over his form. Ungar-B, Talus-B, and Sarai-B were near mirror images of their counterparts, their presence imposing. Zaiyal-B was much like Zaiyal-A, only this version bore a well-groomed beard, something that Zaiyal himself used to have before he decided to become clean-shaven yet again. And then there was Tatu-B, identical to his counterpart down to the last scar. Nova took a slow step forward. "I take it you're not here for a friendly reunion. From what you say that fiend, "Dr. Shashin," has convinced you he's saving this world. Well here's the truth, it's all a lie, he's a maniac and he seeks to destroy all innocent life." Daniel-B crossed his arms. "We're here to stop you. By any means necessary." Phryon let out a dry laugh, flames flickering between his fingers. "Great. Another team of self-righteous imposters. Fair enough, its been sometime since I got the green light to kill! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
But Talus stiffened. He could feel it—the unseen presence looming over their counterparts, manipulating them like chess pieces. "They're being controlled," he muttered under his breath. "I can sense it." The wind shifted. Daniel-B's eyes glowed faintly as his team prepared for battle. "Surrender now," he commanded. "You don't belong here." Nova narrowed his eyes. "I could say the same to you." Then the fight erupted. Ungar and Ungar-B collided first, the impact of their clash shaking the ground. The dark-grey armored warrior met his identical counterpart in a storm of raw force, metal fists slamming into each other like warhammers. Talus lunged at Talus-B, their claws clashing mid-air in a blur of movement. Each strike was mirrored perfectly, their demonic instincts making them nearly indistinguishable in combat. "You fight like me, but it's not the first time I've fought a dark counterpart," Talus snarled. "But I bet you don't think like me." He fainted, slipping past his counterpart's guard and slashing across his side. Talus-B grunted but barely flinched. Sarai and Sarai-B fought with the primal intensity of their Izadoran heritage, snarls and growls filling the battlefield as they exchanged rapid, brutal strikes. Their claws slashed through the air, dodging and countering with precision honed through years of combat.
Phryon unleashed a column of fire at Zaiyal-B, who countered with a blast of raw energy, the two attacks colliding in a spectacular explosion that sent both fighters skidding backward. "You're good," Phryon admitted, cracking his knuckles. "But I am fire." Sir Rhyme, the armored bear wizard, stood firm as he clashed swords with Narcis-B, the Buddhist monk moving with fluid grace, his every motion precise and controlled. Rhyme's brute strength met Narcis-B's discipline, their blades sparking with each impact. Above them all, Daniel-B and Nova circled each other, neither making the first move. "You don't understand," Daniel-B said. "You're walking into something bigger than you realize." Nova smirked. "That makes two of us." Then they lunged at each other. The battle raged, but beneath it all, the unseen force manipulating the alternate heroes lingered, watching, waiting. Whoever—or whatever—was pulling the strings had orchestrated this confrontation with intent. And somewhere in the depths of the overgrown city, Dr. Shashin watched the chaos unfold, a smile hidden beneath his gas mask. The pieces were moving exactly as planned.
The battle surged through the jungle ruins, shaking the ground and igniting the very air with the clash of steel, fire, and raw energy. Each blow echoed through the abandoned cityscape, sending debris tumbling from once-great skyscrapers now strangled by monstrous vines. Nova and Daniel-B moved with precise fluidity, each strike met with a perfectly timed counter. They were equals in every way even though they were not clones obviously and the Daniel of their world had long since passed away, their combat training, instincts, and reflexes mirroring each other. But as their blades locked, Nova saw something flicker in Daniel-B's eyes—hesitation, resistance against the force compelling him. "You don't have to fight this," Nova grunted, pushing Daniel-B back with a forceful kick. "Whatever's controlling you—it's not absolute." Daniel-B's jaw clenched, his muscles rigid. "You think I don't know that?" His voice wavered for just a moment, before something unseen tightened its grip. His eyes darkened. "But I can't stop it." A surge of unnatural energy pulsed through him, and before Nova could react, Daniel-B twisted impossibly fast, striking with brutal efficiency. Nova barely managed to deflect the blade as sparks flew between them. Meanwhile, Talus found himself struggling. Talus-B was not just his equal—he was relentless, fighting with a cold, calculated aggression that unsettled him. Every move he made was anticipated, countered, and punished. Blood trickled from a fresh wound on his arm. His doppelganger smirked.
"You're holding back," Talus-B taunted, his voice almost sympathetic. "That's why you'll lose." Talus snarled but hesitated. He wasn't just fighting a shadow of himself—he was fighting something more. The unseen force puppeteering his counterpart was toying with him, learning him, adapting. If he didn't find a way to break its hold, he would fall. Across the battlefield, Phryon and Zaiyal-B continued their elemental struggle, heat and force clashing in explosive bursts. Phryon gritted his teeth, sweat beading down his brow. "You're powerful," he admitted, flames coiling around his fists. "But power without will is meaningless."
Zaiyal-B faltered—just a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Phryon seized the moment, channeling an inferno into his strike, breaking through Zaiyal-B's defenses and sending him crashing through a decayed building. Sir Rhyme and Narcis-B were locked in a brutal exchange of steel and philosophy. "You fight with precision," Rhyme growled, deflecting a strike. "But do you fight with purpose?" Narcis-B's expression wavered, something ancient and sorrowful flickering in his gaze. "Purpose?" he whispered. And then, as though something yanked him back into place, he lunged with renewed intensity.
From the shadows, Dr. Shashin watched with keen interest. His gloved fingers tapped against the reinforced glass of his gas mask. The experiment was progressing as expected. Each fighter was more than just a warrior—they were catalysts, conduits for the unseen force's will. And as the battle raged on, the force learned, adapted, and grew stronger. He had infected all of them with spores from mind-controlling fungus. If he was correct, the power everyone expelled would ultimately power his ultimate weapon. The vines pulsed with unnatural life, their bioluminescent veins spreading like a disease, twisting further into the remnants of civilization. Shashin's lips curled into a smile. Soon, the barrier between the two worlds would weaken. Soon, Earth-02's infection would spread beyond this ruined planet.
Nova saw it too late. A crack split through the sky above, shimmering like fractured glass. The battle wasn't the endgame. It was only the beginning. A rupture of violet lightning split the sky, and in its wake, Earth-02 was revealed—a world cast in perpetual twilight, its skyline dominated by towering spires of obsidian and glowing neon circuitry. The air thrummed with energy as the dimensional gateway pulsed shut behind the arriving heroes. Ungar's heavy metal boots hit the cracked pavement first, his crimson visor scanning the ruins of a city long abandoned. Prince Lupus and his half-breed daughter, "Kazan," were confronted by this strange rock creature. "Well, well… Step back Kazan, let me deal with this." The rock creature that was over 8 feet tall slowly walked forward as Lupus said, "You really have no idea who you're dealing with, no matter. BEHOLD… the power of a Warrior Prince!" said Prince Lupus. With a thunderous roar, Prince Lupus launched himself at the rock creature, his form a blur of speed and precision. His blade, crackling with raw energy, cleaved through the air, striking the creature's arm. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ruins, yet the creature merely staggered back, its stone-like hide absorbing much of the blow.
Kazan watched, her crimson eyes narrowing. Her father's bravado was legendary, but she knew better than to underestimate an enemy infused with the power of the Earth. The rock creature rumbled, its body shifting as bioluminescent veins pulsed across its cracked exterior. "A warrior prince? Titles mean little when faced with the will of the Overgrowth." With an earth-shaking stomp, it sent a wave of jagged stone shards shooting toward Lupus. He twisted mid-air, barely avoiding being impaled, landing in a crouch beside Kazan. "Fine," Lupus growled, gripping his blade tighter. "Let's see how you handle both of us." Meanwhile, Nova's mind raced as the sky continued to fracture. The dimensional rupture was unstable, its violet lightning arcing chaotically, distorting the battlefield with unnatural flickers of shadow and neon light. Earth-02 and whatever realm was connected now was bleeding into their world, and if they didn't close the rift soon, it would be irreversible. Daniel-B lunged again, his blade an extension of his will. Nova barely managed to twist away, but the force of the attack sent him skidding backward. "We don't have time for this!" Nova shouted. "That rift is going to consume everything!" Daniel-B hesitated, and there it was again—that flicker of resistance in his gaze. But then, as if yanked by invisible strings, his movements sharpened, the hesitation wiped clean.
Across the battlefield, Talus gritted his teeth. Talus-B pressed the attack with relentless efficiency, forcing him to backpedal. "You're me, but not me," Talus muttered. "You know what I'll do before I do it." "That's right," Talus-B sneered. "And that's why you can't win." Talus exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for just a second. Then, instead of dodging, he stepped into Talus-B's next attack. His counterpart's blade slashed across his shoulder—but in that moment of overcommitment, Talus struck, landing a brutal elbow to Talus-B's jaw, then driving his knee into his gut. Talus-B staggered, coughing. For the first time, he looked unsure. "Yeah," Talus said, flexing his fingers. "I can adapt too." Phryon was already pressing his advantage against Zaiyal-B. The force of his flames burned brighter, hotter, as he poured everything into a final, explosive blast. Zaiyal-B barely had time to throw up a shield of kinetic energy before he was blasted back, crashing through another vine-strangled skyscraper. Sir Rhyme's blade met Narcis-B's in another furious clash, their footwork precise, their strength evenly matched. But Rhyme wasn't just testing his opponent's swordplay—he was watching for that flicker again, that moment when the unseen force's grip weakened. He had seen it in Narcis-B's face before. Purpose…
With a deft spin, he disarmed Narcis-B, sending his blade clattering to the ground. "Fight it," Rhyme demanded, pressing his own sword to his opponent's throat. "You are not just a puppet." Narcis-B's lips trembled, his fingers twitching. The unseen force resisted—but cracks were forming. Dr. Shashin's masked face tilted with interest. The battle was shifting. Some of his subjects were resisting. His fingers tapped against the glass of his mask as he observed the energy surging through the battlefield, the spores of his mind-controlling fungus straining to keep their grip. "Fascinating," he mused. "Let's see what happens when we increase the dosage." From the pulsing vines, a thick mist began to rise, curling through the ruins, carrying the corrupted spores with it. The fighters coughed, eyes burning as the infection sought to root itself deeper. Nova clenched his fists. "We have to stop this—now!" The sky cracked further. The two worlds teetered on the brink. And the battle was far from over.
Meanwhile, it had been over a month in the demon realm and Hermes' number of followers slowly grew until it was over 250 following her new monotheistic religion, the followers were primarily of the Demon race. She went to sleep late that night with hardly any time to meet Nelly's younger sister, but there would be time in the morning. She had a dream where a voice was whispering to her. Do you remember all that came before you? An image of man (it was Kaido) fighting a demon with 10 eyes humanoid who was a warlock and whom Ungar was assisting him in battle, and then a green haired elf declaring he was a Prophet attacking a citadel of demon worshippers, of human beings fighting against turquoise aliens in the far future, and of Daniel, Daniel defeating Narcis and his plans of world conquest, Daniel defeating the two Cyborgs hired by King Taipei, Daniel bringing down Sarai's ship who was also hired by King Taipei, Daniel losing to Talus and Talus dying twice once to Lucifer and again to save Talus from destruction. And then Daniel and this figure (Ebisu Daniel's father) appeared before her. "We kept you as a secret, your soul was condensed and we thought that way we never had to eradicate you," Ebisu said. "We were wrong, you knew it would come to this, after all you are a monster." Hermes woke up in a cold sweat. It was time to pick up Nelly and Baala (Nelly's younger sister) at the bus station.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Dr. Shashin had grown tired. The multiverse doppelgangers had broken free from the spell and the others had informed them that they were under mind control. That this mad scientist had stolen them from their dimension and used them to achieve his ends. It wasn't long before Dr. Shashin arrived. "Well, it seems you've all come together. But it's over. I've already siphoned away enough of your power, you're finished." Ungar shouted: "YOU'RE COMING WITH US!!" Dr. Shashine injected a syringe of orange liquid into his chest. He began to shake and laugh with glee. Everyone saw Dr. Shashine turned into a giant over 300 feet tall with trees growing from him a planet-based/human hybrid. Everyone else was terrified except for Prince Lupus who thought to himself, "Is that all? I'll play along for a few minutes and then I'll wipe the floor with this overgrown tree trunk. It's time I show them why I'll become the emperor of this entire universe! Hehehe!"
Dr. Shashin's monstrous new form loomed over the battlefield, his body a grotesque fusion of flesh and nature, twisted into a hulking, biomechanical horror. Trees sprouted from his shoulders, their roots entwining with his sinew, while bioluminescent spores leaked from his gaping mouth. His laughter rumbled through the ruined city, shaking the very ground beneath them. Nova clenched his fists. "We've got to take him down before he fully adapts. If his power keeps growing, we might not be able to stop him."
Ungar cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with a smirk. "You talk too much, Nova." With that, he launched himself at the monstrous entity, his massive metal fists colliding with Shashin's bark-covered torso. The impact sent shockwaves through the ruins, but the creature barely flinched. Instead, vines erupted from his body, twisting around Ungar's limbs and slamming him into the ground. Talus and Talus-B moved in tandem, their rivalry momentarily set aside as they slashed through the writhing tendrils, freeing Ungar before he could he be absorbed into the mass. "Don't get caught," Talus growled. "I doubt he lets his prey go twice."
Meanwhile, Sir Rhyme channeled arcane energy into his blade, carving through the vines with precise, calculated strikes. "This thing isn't just growing," he warned. "It's feeding off the energy we expend. The more power we use, the stronger it gets." Phryon's flames erupted in a furious blaze. "Then we stop holding back and burn this bastard to the ground!" He hurled a column of fire at the behemoth, but as the inferno engulfed Shashin, something unexpected happened—the flames were absorbed, sinking into the wooden flesh as if being consumed. Shashin's voice echoed, deeper now, reverberating through the city like the groan of an ancient forest. "You still don't understand… I am beyond you now. This world… will be reborn in my image." His body swelled, his massive tree-like arms stretching toward the rift in the sky, tendrils of glowing energy siphoning more and more power into his colossal form. Nova's mind raced. If they kept attacking recklessly, they were only accelerating his transformation. They needed a different approach. Prince Lupus was about to unleash his power on Shashin which would have killed him until Ungar shouted so loud that even Dr. Shashine stopped. "DO YOU FEEL THAT?! SOMETHING IS COMING. It will be here any second!!" Dr. Shashine laughed for a moment, "Nice try but this little gambit has faile…" And then he felt it, the doctor began to shake like a leaf he said quietly, "What is that?!..." Sarai said with his voice in tatters… "There's no mistaking it, that's a demonic energy." In a flash, a golden light struck Dr. Shashine and in an instant he reverted to his original human form as a result the vegetation began to collapse and the vegetation began to slowly dissipate. He saw the forested world he wanted to reclaim civilization slowly be destroyed before him and he was completely sapped of all his power, slowly descending through levitation back into the earth as he breathed heavily, "What happened? What on earth was that? My power, I can hardly breathe."
Ungar looked up: "THERE!" Above was a portal that had just opened. A figure stood there with a metal mask and yellow eyes shone through the mask. "Where is the girl? Where is that fucking monster?" Ungar clenched his fist, "She's dead… so there's no need for you to be here." The man turned his head: "Ungar, I've known you for far too long, I know when you're lying." Ungar was stunned, "How do you know who I am?!" The man replied: "I know who all of you are, Talus, Zaiyal, Lupus, Kazan, etc. I know who you all are. So just give us this person you call a Prophet, who is really a Leviathan." Talus floated up, he lied through his teeth that he didn't know that Hermes was alive. "I made a promise to my friend that I'd protect all of these people, if there's even a chance that the girl is alive I'll fight to my last breath to protect her. So get lost." From a portal on the other side Erisa and Elsa appeared they had traveled all the way from the Demon Realm. Talus said: "So you two are Ungar's friends. Well one of you can help me fight, more than one fighter will just get in my way." Elrisa and Elsa fused together and became one being, like before they were clearly an angelic being now instead of brother and sister and twins, one androgynous angel who was ready for battle. There were several masked men behind the main masked man. They got in battle stances but the man raised his hands and caused them to relax.
"It's okay I'll handle those two. My name is X. I am a member of the Council of Archon from the court of the Sun God King Apollo. I know Erisa and Elsa know who I am and Ungar may know who they are but the rest of you are now enlightened. We need to destroy that Prophet harboring she is a Prophet to the Hell Fire she will destroy this world and everything in it!!" Emperor Lupus smiled from down below, "There's no way Talus can handle this being, his powers are off the charts. I'll let him embarrass himself and then I'll clean up his mess."
Talus hovered in the air, feeling the weight of the moment settle over him. X's golden eyes burned with divine intensity, his presence radiating raw, celestial authority. Even the air around him crackled with power. Talus knew this wouldn't be an easy fight—X wasn't just strong; he was something else entirely, something beyond his usual foes. Erisa and Elsa, now fused into their angelic form, flared their wings and lifted their hand, manifesting a golden spear of light. "X, you have no right to decide the fate of this world. The girl is not what you think she is." X tilted his head slightly. "And yet, you both are still naive enough to believe she won't bring ruin. But I expected that. It's why I've come prepared." He raised a single hand, and a sigil burned into existence behind him. The masked figures at his back spread out, forming a perimeter around the battlefield. With one motion, they activated their own sigils, warping reality itself. A pressure unlike anything Talus had ever felt bore down on him. His limbs felt heavy, his power restrained as though the very universe was rejecting him. He gritted his teeth. "What the hell is this?"
X smirked beneath his mask. "The Authority of the Archons. We bend the laws of existence to our will. In this field, your strength—no matter how adaptable—means nothing." Nova, still on the ground, clenched his fists. "He's suppressing their power? Damn it, this isn't a fair fight." Ungar, however, only smiled. "Doesn't matter." Before anyone could react, Talus moved—too fast. The suppression field should have slowed him down, yet he tore through the air, closing the distance to X in the blink of an eye. X barely had time to raise a defense before Talus's fist connected with his ribs, sending shockwaves through the sky. The golden aura around X flickered, just for a second, as he was sent hurtling backward. Talus exhaled sharply, flexing his fingers. "Yeah, no. You don't get to decide how strong I am."
X righted himself midair, golden energy flaring around his form. "Interesting. Your will is stronger than the field. That makes this fun." He gestured, and the masked figures lunged into action. Erisa-Elsa spun their golden spear, intercepting the first assailant with a crack of divine energy. The air exploded as they moved, cutting through the suppression field with sheer celestial force. They knew X wasn't going to hold back. From below, Emperor Lupus watched with growing amusement. "Maybe Talus isn't a complete fool after all. But still, this fight will be a fine spectacle." Meanwhile, Dr. Shashin was still on his knees, shaking. His power was gone, drained away by whatever force had struck him down. He clutched his chest, gasping. "That… that wasn't normal divine energy… something else… something worse." Sarai knelt beside him, his expression dark. "It was demonic. And if we don't figure out who unleashed it, we may have a bigger problem than X." Above, X and Talus clashed again, their blows rattling the heavens.