The Guardians were hurled in all directions.
Akito lifted his gaze—
Then lowered it instantly, panic seizing his body.
He couldn't help the Guardians in their fight against Kronoran.
He couldn't protect Lumen from death.
"How can I gain power? What do I have to do? And now… even the system has stopped working. I'm useless…"
His fists crashed into the marble floor—
And then, right before his eyes, a familiar interface flashed:
[Apologies, Player]
[System malfunction—status restored]
[You've acquired a new skill]
[ERROR… ERROR… ERROR…]
[Skill incompatible with life]
[Death likely… death imminent]
[System shutting down…]
A blink—
And everything went dark.
The world vanished.
Akito collapsed, unmoving.
— "No!" Kianir appeared at his side in an instant. "No pulse… He's… he's dead?"
His voice trembled.
"…Not this. Anything but this…"
Water from one of his three bowls swirled over Akito's body—
But it remained cold.
…
Meanwhile—
Akito opened his eyes.
Before him stretched a vast, endless field.
Thousands of Guardians stood in the distance.
Some familiar…
Some not.
The sky was pure black above.
The ground beneath him—a deep indigo, stretching to a horizon that didn't exist.
"…Where am I?" he whispered.
A presence appeared at his side—
The Creator.
He stood with hands behind his back, face solemn.
"You're dead, Akito.
Your heart stopped—
It couldn't withstand the activation of your new skill."
"I knew this would happen.
That's why I embedded a fragment of myself within the skill."
"Please…" Akito clutched the fabric of his shirt, his voice trembling.
"…Help them. Help the Guardians defeat Kronoran."
"I'm trying, Akito.
But he won't allow me to act.
And if I release my full power…
I'll destroy everything.
The entire Universe."
He turned his gaze to the void.
"…But—"
"Listen carefully," the Creator said.
"I will give you a skill equal to the strength of all the Guardians combined—
No… stronger."
"Your previous skills—'Relentless' and 'Victor'—didn't activate because death came instantly, beyond human threshold."
He pointed to the side.
The realm shifted.
They stood now in a vast chamber of floating memories—
Clouds drifting in the air, each one pulsing with visions.
"See that?"
The Creator motioned to one of the clouds.
"That's Fobrian, Guardian of Fear. He was the strongest of them all—
Held his title for centuries.
He died shielding a little girl… from a monster's strike."
Another cloud appeared.
"This one—
Didn't even hesitate to die for the one he loved."
The Creator took a step forward.
"Guardians…
They feel.
They're not monsters, no matter how they appear."
His voice hardened.
"That's why, Akito—
You must defeat Kronoran.
Or at the very least… delay him, until I arrive."
"I believe in you.
You can do this."
— FLASH —
Akito's eyes snapped open.
Before him shimmered Kianir's watery shield.
He reached out—
And the shield responded, parting softly at his touch.
He rose—
And froze.
There, ahead—
Kronoran, holding Ontas by the throat.
The other Guardians were downed.
Some embedded in walls.
Others buried beneath rubble.
Some lay still, unmoving.
All had fallen.
Akito stood tall.
[Skill Activated: Relentless]
[Skill Activated: Victor]
[Skill Activated: Eye of Truth]
[Skill Activated: Fragment of the Infinite]
He shot forward like an arrow—
His fist collided with Kronoran's guard, forcing him to drop Ontas.
The impact sent Kronoran skidding backward, gouging deep trails into the marble.
"You've gotten faster, Akito…
So your system is back?"
Kronoran narrowed his eyes.
"You pests…
You really are persistent."
A clash—
Their palms met.
The shockwave blew everyone away—
Even those who had barely started rising again.
A little earlier, before Akito awoke…
Kronoran had swatted away every Guardian like insects.
Only Dolhar reacted in time.
He launched forward, unleashing a storm of strikes—
But Kronoran parried them all.
"I know all your tricks, old man.
You've got nothing left."
"You think too highly of yourself," Dolhar replied evenly.
"You were supposed to follow in the Creator's footsteps—
But you betrayed His will."
[Skill Activated: Echo of a Thousand]
Dolhar's arms and legs ignited with blue fire.
He dashed forward—
A new gash slashed across Kronoran's face, this time on the other side.
Dodging back, Dolhar used another skill—
[Skill Activated: Devotion]
Kronoran crashed into the floor with terrifying force.
The marble cracked beneath him.
"Should've killed you first, old bastard…" Kronoran snarled internally.
He summoned one of his clones.
In a blink—
Perfect rings of light severed Dolhar's limbs with surgical precision.
"Damn… I failed…" the old Guardian gasped before slamming into the wall.
Immediately, Grarrel appeared before Kronoran.
"You're the only one who's ever survived a duel with me…
No wonder they call you the strongest after Karmas," Kronoran admitted.
[Skill Activated: Sovereign of Pride]
A golden wreath glowed around Grarrel's head.
An aura bloomed—
Slowing all enemy strikes,
Speeding up his own.
"Perfect," Kronoran grinned.
"Let's begin."
A flurry of blows—
Grarrel dodged each with ease.
Then struck twice—
Straight to Kronoran's nose.
Blood splashed onto the marble.
Next came a kick from above—
Then a powerful spin-strike.
"Too slow… I need another approach…" Kronoran calculated.
"Surrender," Grarrel said, eyes locked with his.
"Look at me.
I am the ideal.
The embodiment."
He went on the offensive.
Kronoran swung—
But the motion was a feint.
In that instant—
A flash of light tore through the air—
From another dimension.
A strike of pure light, infused with warped time—
It ripped the air apart.
Grarrel never saw it coming.
He blacked out in an instant.
Kronoran straightened.
He had accelerated time…
So far…
That he struck from the future.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!