| The Cyber Ascension | Arc 7 — "The Bloodlines and Carnage" | Volume 7 | Chapter 73 : "Meteor Funeral" |
The sky…
broke.
Clouds twisted unnaturally, spiraling inward as if dragged by an invisible hand. The purple fires of Eirien's destruction flickered violently, disturbed by a pressure far heavier than before.
Even Sanji Youta paused.
The heavens began to groan.
A deep, ancient sound echoed across the Second Heaven—
not thunder…
but weight.
---
Arrival of the Fool Who Laughs
From above—
A silhouette descended slowly, casually, as if gravity itself had lost authority over him.
Hands in pockets.
Head tilted lazily.
A crooked grin carved across his face.
Kiyoshi.
He hovered in the air, eyes half-lidded, staring down at the battlefield that looked more like a corpse than a world.
Below him lay scorched mountains, fractured space, bleeding skies.
And in the center—
Sanji Youta.
Kiyoshi whistled.
Kiyoshi
"…Damn."
He scratched his head.
Kiyoshi
"You really messed this place up, huh?"
Haruko's eyes widened.
Haruko
"Kiyoshi—! Don't—!"
Too late.
---
The Sky Answers Him
Kiyoshi lifted one hand.
Slowly.
Casually.
As if calling a pet.
The clouds parted.
Then—
FIRE FELL.
---
Meteor Funeral
The first meteor screamed through the atmosphere, wrapped in black flames and purple Ki. It struck a distant mountain—
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The explosion erased the mountain entirely.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
The sky turned into a graveyard of falling stars—
each meteor the size of a fortress, burning with condensed spherical energy, tearing reality open as they descended.
Forests vanished.
Lakes boiled into nothing.
The Second Heaven began to collapse.
Haruko reinforced her barriers desperately.
Haruko
"THREE LAYERS WON'T HOLD—!"
Eirien clenched his teeth.
Eirien
"…So this is his true output."
---
The King of Hell Stands Still
Sanji Youta didn't dodge.
Didn't retreat.
He planted his feet.
A meteor crashed directly onto him—
KRAAAAAASH—!!!
The impact sent shockwaves across realms.
Dust, fire, blood, and debris swallowed everything.
Silence followed.
Then—
A massive hand burst out of the crater.
Sanji Youta emerged slowly, armor cracked, blood streaming down his face.
And he was smiling.
Sanji Youta
"…Meteor attacks?"
He laughed.
Low.
Dangerous.
Sanji Youta
"You brats are really trying to entertain me today."
He looked up.
Directly at Kiyoshi.
---
Kiyoshi's Smile Fades
Kiyoshi's grin softened—not fear, not doubt—
focus.
He raised both hands now.
The sky darkened completely.
Stars vanished.
Gravity screamed.
Kiyoshi
"Good."
His eyes sharpened.
Kiyoshi
"Then let's bury you properly."
Above the Second Heaven—
A planetary-scale meteor mass began to form.
Not falling.
Waiting.
Sanji Youta tightened his grip on his katana.
Eirien stepped forward.
Z stood, bloodied but standing.
Haruko reinforced every barrier she had left.
Because everyone felt it—
If that meteor fell…
The Second Heaven would die.
---
End of Chapter 73