The sky above the broken mountain road twisted unnaturally.
What had once looked like a distant shadow now stepped fully into existence, as if the air itself had split open.
The bus behind them stood frozen. Wind ceased. Even the mountains seemed to hold their breath.
The mysterious entity descended slowly, feet never touching the ground. Its body was humanoid, yet wrong—too smooth, too still. Its eyes were sharp, vertical like a predator's, glowing faintly with a color unfamiliar to the human eye. Not divine. Not demonic. Something in between.
Leo rose into the air, floating toward it, fists trembling—not from fear, but from a storm of rage and worry.
> "Who are you?"
His voice was low. Cold. Heavy.
The entity tilted its head slightly, as if inspecting an insect that had learned to speak.
> "Names in this universe are meaningless," it said calmly.
"But if you insist… call me Kael'thar."
The name struck Leo like a blade—alien. Unnatural.
Kael'thar folded his arms behind his back.
> "I am a servant of the Multiverse Demon King—one of his Executors. We exist to maintain balance."
Leo's eyes narrowed, fists tightening.
> "Balance?"
Kael'thar's expression remained impassive.
> "A new king must not rise. Especially not one born in a lesser universe. Someone like you."
Before Leo could react, the air ruptured—BOOM.
Kael'thar appeared instantly in front of him. One punch. No theatrics. No fanfare. Just pure, absolute force.
Leo was slammed into the rocky ground, carving a crater deep into the mountain path. Dust exploded around him. He coughed, blood staining the corner of his mouth.
Chen Wei shouted, panic lacing his voice:
> "Leo! Don't fight him! You're injured! This isn't your enemy! You have to focus on Kaito Jin first—I'll handle this one!"
Leo pushed himself up slowly. Pain screamed through his arms and legs, but his gaze remained steady. He wiped the blood from his lips.
> "Multiverse…"
He looked up at Kael'thar again.
> "So you came from outside this planet. Countless worlds… like ours."
Kael'thar said nothing. Leo clenched his fist.
> "And among all of them… you're saying the next Multiverse King…"
"…could be me."
Kael'thar's eyes sharpened slightly.
> "You lack the potential."
Silence stretched like a blade.
Leo's voice cracked as he spoke again.
> "I couldn't even protect Lily."
"I didn't even know she was carrying my child…"
His fists shook.
> "If I can't save the person I love…"
"If I can't protect my own family…"
He lifted his head. Tears burned in his eyes—but they did not fall.
> "Then what right do I have to talk about kings?"
Suddenly, he vanished.
In an instant, Leo appeared before Kael'thar, fist ready.
> "But if I can't defeat you… then I'll never forgive myself."
His punch tore through the air, the mountain quivering beneath the shock. The sky itself seemed to ripple with the force.
Chen Wei and Yuna watched from below, hearts pounding, knowing how desperate this fight was.
And with that clash—
The chapter ended.
---
Author's Note
Yes… now it's clear. The story takes inspiration from Dragon Ball-style power scaling, but it's rooted in family, village, and love.
Leo's "king" hasn't awakened yet.
Lily is pregnant, injured, and recovering—Chen Wei and Yuna are watching from the sidelines.
The multiverse threat has arrived, and Leo is just beginning to understand his place.
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