Sometimes true strength isn't measured in numbers, nor in the thunder of a blow that cracks the earth.
There is a kind of power that is born in the exact moment one decides to bear another's weight. It reveals itself not with shouts or showmanship, but with a steady gaze, a firm stance… and a will that will not yield before the abyss.
In the world of gods, where names are titles and ranks become steps toward glory, few understand that true power lies in the awareness of one's own weakness.
A fist can pierce the sky, but it is the purpose behind that fist that makes it feared.
And when two giants meet… they do not ask who will win.
They ask how much of the world will remain standing afterward.
As the pieces move and names echo, some cling to logic as a life preserver. But even the most calculated logic cracks before the chaos of the human soul.
Today… the title of "gold rank" will not be an ornament.
It will be a declaration of war.
———————————————————————————————————————————
"Hey, hey… is this for real?" Yohei growled as he came to a halt before his opponents.
The ground thrummed with a tension that could be cut with a sword. Before him stood two figures: Xunaan, his metal armor gleaming despite the overcast sky, and Tepztli, whose blade already sparked with contained fire.
Yohei narrowed his eyes and assessed the situation.
Looks like we'll have to improvise a bit…
—Flashback—
"What did you say?" Yohei snapped, irritated. "Why do I have to go with the demon?"
"I've explained it to you," Shu answered calmly, though his voice was firm. "I need you with Edén. If he's forced to fight too early, we're finished."
"And why is that?"
"Because you know it too. We only have one chance if we concentrate all his power against Takahashi and Zipacna."
Yohei snorted arrogantly. "I'm more than enough to take those two on."
Shu looked at him with a seriousness that cut the air. "You know very well you're not."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "You're incredibly strong—stronger than any of us combined. But you also know Takahashi is far more than just a gold rank. The same goes for Edén. What you can't accept is that there are people who might surpass you… right?"
Yohei's face hardened. It was a truth that stung more than any blow.
"We need your help," Shu insisted, lowering his tone. "Please."
Yohei sighed long and deep, as if carrying a mountain on his back. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Destroy anyone who stands between you and them. If I'm not wrong, Takahashi won't move a finger until Edén is in front of him. We must use that to our advantage."
A half-smile appeared on Yohei's face. "Leave it to me."
—End of flashback—
Now, in the present, his eyes shone with wild electricity.
Damn prodigy… it seems Shu was right.
"You… where is that red-haired runt? I want to beat him up."
Xunaan stepped forward, shield held high.
"That's none of your business."
"If you don't tell me, I'll tear you apart," Yohei growled, never losing his smile.
"Do you really think you stand a chance against us?" Tepztli interjected with a cutting tone.
"Chance?" Yohei laughed. "That word isn't in my logic. I just have to kick your asses, and that's it."
"Bastard, don't underestimate us!" Tepztli roared, setting his sword ablaze.
"We're gold rank too, just like you," Xunaan added.
"Sorry, but you two don't even come close to my heels."
The insult lit Tepztli like a torch.
"Scoundrel!"
"Calm down," Xunaan cut in. "He's just provoking us. Stick to the plan. Even if he's strong, together we'll beat him."
"Yes… we'll defeat him."
Yohei narrowed his eyes and observed.
Xunaan. Gold rank No. 20. Great defense, metal shield, varied containment and counterattack techniques.
Tepztli. No. 25. Reckless swordsman, direct and aggressive style. Fire techniques, low defense… but lethal when he commits.
They make a good pair… but I can destroy them.
Then the air changed. The sky suddenly darkened. A shudder ran through the ground. The first sparks began to burst from Yohei's body, as if a storm god had descended to earth.
"Is this… for real?" Xunaan thought as he felt his armor vibrate. His brow furrowed. He knew Yohei was strong, but this surpassed anything he had expected. "This… will be a problem."
A few meters away, Edén watched in silence, his heart tight.
What am I doing standing here?
Am I really not strong enough?
Or do they no longer trust me…?
His mind brought fuzzy echoes: his fight against Shu in demonic form, the times he unleashed himself in Nork, his grandfather's face before Kai and Ryu's attack… and those looks.
Looks of fear. Of repulsion. Maybe… it's better to never use it again. I don't want to hurt anyone…
A crash snapped him out of his thoughts.
Yohei's electric fist struck Xunaan's shield with fury.
"You're in the way!"
Tepztli appeared from behind with a burst of swift slashes that forced Yohei to step back.
"I told you not to underestimate us!"
Yohei laughed.
"Sorry. My mistake. You're not ants… maybe you reach the level of cockroaches."
"Bastard!" Tepztli shouted, lunging forward without thinking.
"Hey, wait!" Xunaan tried to stop him.
Yohei stepped back, smiling.
"Got you."
A small spark flashed on the ground beneath Tepztli's feet.
"Eh…?"
A colossal lightning bolt fell from the sky, shaking the entire terrain.
Yohei exhaled, satisfied.
"One less… huh?"
But as he looked up, his expression changed. Xunaan was still standing, shield raised, taking the full impact with his body.
"I told you… not to lose your temper, idiot," he growled through clenched teeth.
"Xunaan…" Tepztli whispered, stunned.
The shield redirected the lightning in a parabola that grazed Yohei's face, leaving a shallow cut on his cheek. The rest of the impact struck a cluster of trees, erupting in a blast of fire and dust.
Yohei touched his cheek… and began to laugh.
"Impressive… impressive… impressive…"
His energy surged in an instant. Blue lightning streaked across his skin, and the ground began to hum with electricity.
Tepztli took a step back, trembling.
"W-What… what the hell is this guy?"
Xunaan swallowed hard.
"Hey… hey… you've got to be kidding me…"
From a distant hill, Zipacna and Takahashi watched the scene unfold.
"Is that guy even human?" Zipacna said with a half-smile.
Takahashi kept his eyes closed, motionless.
"Not going to say anything?" Zipacna pressed. "The guy you underestimated is a real monster."
"You're stronger," Takahashi murmured.
"You think so?"
"It doesn't matter. Fate has already decided who my opponent will be."
Zipacna glanced at him sideways.
First time I've seen him like this… Looks like he's finally found someone on his level.
The air crackled. From a forested hill, Zipacna sat beside Takahashi, watching how the storm seemed to revolve around a single being.
"We'll win," he murmured with a half-smile. "Together."
Below them, the field trembled with every punch Yohei landed against Xunaan's shield. Each blow made the ground vibrate, and little by little the defense began to fracture.
Behind the shield, Tepztli could barely stay on his feet.
How is this possible? Doesn't he get tired? I can't find an opening to attack…
His legs trembled.
I don't want to die… if I step out… if one of those hits lands on me… I'll die… I can't… I…
"Tepztli!" Xunaan's voice shook him like thunder.
"Huh?"
"We have to act now. If we don't, we'll lose."
"But…"
"I'll take the blow," Xunaan said, voice ragged, his face drenched in sweat.
"That's madness! If he hits you…"
"It's our only option!" he cut in forcefully. "That'll give you enough time to land a strike that knocks him out."
"I—I can't…"
"You can. Believe in yourself."
Tepztli gripped his sword hilt hard. His expression shifted.
"Yes!"
Xunaan's shield vanished in an instant.
"Huh?" Yohei managed to say before his fist connected squarely with his opponent's body.
The crash was colossal. Xunaan flew like a broken puppet, bouncing among the trees before slamming violently to the ground.
But at that very moment, Tepztli appeared from behind, sword raised, roaring:
"I've got you!"
A bolt descended like a divine whip, wrapping him completely.
Huh? What…?
As he was consumed by the light, only one thought formed in his mind:
It's impossible… how is this possible…?
His body was hurled through the air, wrapped in smoke and electricity. He fell meters away, powerless to rise.
Yohei lowered his arm slowly as small discharges crackled across the ground.
"Good thing I had that ready," he exhaled. "If I'd let my guard down even one moment… I'd be done for."
His gaze dropped to a slight wound on his neck.
If that attack had come from someone stronger…
…he would be dead.
The bodies of Xunaan and Tepztli lay unconscious.
"Participant number 4: Tepztli, of Team Zutarts — eliminated."
"Participant number 1: Xunaan, of Team Zutarts — eliminated."
"Let's go!" Aphrodite shouted, raising her fist from the control room.
At the other end, Quetzalcóatl's face tensed.
What the hell are those idiots doing? Why aren't they responding?
Something felt… wrong.
"What are you talking about?" Aphrodite shot back sarcastically. "Already looking for excuses?"
"No. Why have these images… repeated twenty times?"
Aphrodite squinted as one of the monitors clearly showed Lowa and Shu running through the jungle. But something didn't add up. They were looped. The same branches, the same footsteps… the same sequence.
"It can't be…"
"Hey!" Quetzalcóatl yelled at the operators. "Call imaging! What the hell is going on?"
"They're not responding, sir. There's no way to communicate."
"Feathered Serpent! Cut everything now!" Aphrodite ordered urgently.
"What? We can't cut the feed — it's being broadcast everywhere."
"Do as I say, damn it!"
Quetzalcóatl glanced at her for a second… then nodded. The screens went dark. Silence.
The council chamber of the gods fell mute.
"What's happening?" Zeus's voice thundered as he rose from his throne.
"Hey, hey…" Shun squinted. "Is this for real?"
Juana looked at him, puzzled.
"Captain, what's going on?"
Shun put a hand to his ear. His communicator had just activated.
"We've just been authorized to act."
"Huh? Now?"
What were you waiting for…?
Did you know this would happen…?
"Where do we depart to, sir?" Tiresias asked.
"Zutarts," Shun replied without hesitation. "We must set course now."
"What!?" Alexbold went pale. "Why there?"
"There's no time for explanations," Shun was already walking toward the exit. "But if we delay one more second, all of this will go to hell."
"Yes!"
As the team moved out, Quetzalcóatl glanced at Aphrodite.
"Do you know something?"
"No. But I think we have to intervene as soon as possible."
And then they both felt it.
A brutal, dense, impossible-to-ignore energy enveloped the atmosphere — as if a dimensional rift were slowly opening.
Aphrodite froze for a second.
This… is exactly like that time…
She remembered the attack on Grek. The torn sky. The dome that trapped the gods. The smell of death and chaos.
Black Lights.
"They're back."
The ground was soaked in blood.
Lowa lay motionless in the mud, limbs outstretched, her face smeared with a mixture of sweat, soil, and dried blood. Beside her, Shu could barely stand. His body trembled, deep cuts marking his chest, an arm hanging mangled, his breaths shallow and uneven.
"I never thought… I'd meet someone like this…" he whispered, spitting blood as he stared ahead.
Across from him, a muscular man slowly closed a book. His presence was brutal, almost out of place on the devastated stage. He had no blood on him, not a single scratch. His expression, however, was pure annoyance.
"We should finish this quickly," he said indifferently, brushing dust from the book's cover. "I don't like wasting time on childish things."
Shu forced a broken smile—barely a shadow of his usual arrogance.
"Hey… can you stop playing around?"
The stranger looked at him with apathy.
"What are you talking about?"
"If I'm going to die here… I want you to give it your all. Don't hold back, bastard."
For the first time, the man raised his gaze with something other than indifference. He snapped the book shut and hid it behind his back. A faint sigh escaped his lips.
"I hope you don't regret this…"
•
A few meters away, in a clearing hidden by trees, the scene was even more grotesque.
A young man dressed in a black clerical-style suit, marked by an inverted red cross, gazed with fascination at the opened body of a Zutarts student. His eyes shone with a strange light—part devotion, part ecstasy.
"This is… impressive," he murmured in a sweet, almost childlike voice. "Truly impressive… Humans… they are truly impressive."
The corpse's vacant stare could not return the emotion he sought, but that didn't seem to matter. He licked his blood-stained fingers with a slow, sick smile.
"Humans… are… delicious…"
In the distance, Eris stifled a scream behind a tree. Her hands trembled as she covered her mouth; tears spilled from her eyes. What she had witnessed refused to settle into her mind. It was inhuman. It was hell.
And worst of all… she couldn't move.
•
Zef watched in silence from a higher point where vegetation thickened.
Before him, a dome of energy pulsed like a living sphere. Inside, the silhouettes of four figures were barely discernible—trapped.
"Looks like we're in big trouble…" he murmured more to himself than to anyone.
His eyes scanned the dome's surface.
This isn't any ordinary barrier… they've sealed those four without them even noticing. This spatial technique… it's far too advanced.
The snap of a branch behind him shattered the tension.
An old man emerged from the trees. His walk was slow but steady, as if time itself respected him. His blue eyes gleamed like icy beacons, and a vertical mark crossed one of them. His attire was plain, but his gestures carried the elegance of someone who once walked among kings.
Zef recognized him instantly.
"You… you were responsible for this, weren't you?"
The old man smiled politely.
"Why do you assume that?"
"I can recognize an Atlante wherever I go."
"Majesty," the man answered in a tone equal parts mocking and reverent. "It seems you still retain your instinct."
Zef frowned.
"What is an Atlante doing here?"
"Today is an important day," the old man said, folding his hands behind his back. "Today our god will seize power. He will purge the twelve families of the impure… and the false king. Today his fall begins."
Tension grew in Zef's face.
"God? Impure? False king? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You will know soon, Majesty. But for now…"
A dry blow—quick and brutal—struck his chest. There was no time to dodge. Zef's world went dark in an instant.
"Rest a little, Majesty."
•
The camera rises over the capital of Zutarts.
The sky blackened. Streets drenched in blood. Muffled screams, collapsed structures. A new hell was being born.
Amid the chaos, a figure danced among the bodies as if all of this were part of a carefully prepared game.
Puppet.
Smiling. Calm. Elegant.
"It's time to play…"