Somewhere in the endless cosmos, the void stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing the faint light of distant stars. In that silent darkness, a lone man floated, blood dripping from his torn body. His pale skin was marred by countless cuts, and his shredded clothes fluttered weakly around him. Behind his head, a massive Dharma chakra of red and gold rotated slowly, forged from metallic ki and burning like a miniature sun. A ribbon of red ki hovered around his waist, circling him like an obedient serpent. His long white hair drifted behind him, swaying with the faint, nonexistent breeze of the void. Even with his breathing uneven and his hands trembling around his spear, his eyes burned with defiance. He refused to bend.
Across from him floated a demon — humanoid in shape, yet radiating an oppressive violence that distorted the very space around him. His skin was pale and soaked in blood, though it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to him or his enemy. His own Dharma chakra burned behind his head, a swirling crimson sun, while his violet ki ribbon twisted around him like wild lightning. His red hair flared upward, defying gravity as it glowed with demonic energy. In his hand, he held a sword engraved with ancient runes that pulsed with forbidden power.
They stared at each other for a long time. These two beings had already fought past the limits of life, and both were at the edge of death.
The demon grinned, despite the blood spilling from his lips. "Persistent little human. Even at the edge of death, you still dare glare at me like that?"
The man wiped blood from his mouth and tightened his grip on his spear. "You speak too much. Save your breath. You'll need it when you're crawling in the depths of the abyss."
The demon laughed, his voice echoing unnaturally in the empty void. "You won't survive another exchange. Your body is already cracking, bastard."
"Come break it, then — if you can," the man said quietly. They vanished at the same instant.
A moment later, their weapons collided with a thunderous explosion that shattered the void like brittle glass. Cracks spread across space, glowing faintly before bursting into fragments. Every exchange of blows created shock-waves powerful enough to vaporise drifting meteors and compress starlight into dust.
The man swept his spear in a blazing arc, but the demon countered with a powerful vertical slash that ripped open a long tear in the void. Each time their weapons met, stars flickered and died around them.
"Fall!" the demon roared, pouring all his strength into a downward strike.
"Not today," the man growled, deflecting the blade with a violent twist of his spear that sent the demon spiraling backward.
The demon steadied himself and immediately formed hand seals at terrifying speed, faster than any ordinary eyes could follow. A titanic formation appeared above him, a runic circle stretching thousands of kilometers, glowing with crimson light that drowned out starlight. The man narrowed his eyes and began forming the same seals. An identical golden-red formation appeared above him.
The demon roared, "Still copying me, human God Emperor Arvah?!"
"Yours looked defective, Demon God Emperor Dashirsur," Arvah replied calmly.
At the same moment, both spoke the same words:
"The Heavenly Moon Fall."
Two massive moons materialised above them, each thousands of kilometers wide and glowing with destructive spiritual ki. They were hurled forward, colliding at light-speed.
The moment they touched—
BOOOOOM!
The explosion tore open massive spatial fissures that spread like cracks in the universe. Shock-waves vaporised everything nearby and bent space around them. Moon fragments and molten debris scattered like flaming stars.
Dashirsur immediately formed a second seal. Another moon appeared and came crashing down at incredible speed.
"Try blocking this one, human!"
Arvah's eyes sharpened. He infused his spear with all the remaining ki he had, making it blaze white. With one perfect strike, he split the incoming moon into two halves. Lava spewed from the severed core, spraying into the void like fiery oceans. Without wasting a breath, Arvah shot through the gap, spear thrusting toward the demon.
Their weapons collided again, slicing through drifting moon debris. Each clash created sparks brighter than supernovas.
Then, Arvah's spear finally landed a decisive strike, slamming into the demon's chest and sending him flying. Dashirsur lost balance and fell toward a nearby planet. He broke through the atmosphere like a meteor, leaving a trail of flames behind him, then crashed into the planet's surface, creating a crater so deep it pierced the layers of the crust.
The man descended, his body aching with every movement. He landed at the crater's edge, breathing unevenly but Dashirsur was not inside.
A faint fluctuation appeared behind Arvah. The demon emerged in a blur, grabbing his leg.
"Got you."
He swung Arvah violently and threw him into a massive mountain. The entire structure burst apart on impact, collapsing into dust and debris. Arvah coughed blood, his vision blurring, but he stood once more — refusing to fall.
Dashirsur hovered in front of him, panting. "Why do you keep standing? Just die already!"
"Because you're annoying," Arvah replied, raising his hand and forming hand signs. Ki gathered around his arm, forming a swirling storm of red and gold.
"Annihilation Palm."
A massive palm of energy, hundreds of kilometers tall, manifested above him. The demon scowled and raised his own hand.
"Heaven-Destroying Palm!"
A colossal violet palm formed above him in response.
Both palms collided. Their clash tore the planet apart. The ground split open to the core, unleashing molten lava that shot upward like burning geysers. Lava rained around them, but neither flinched.
As the fiery eruption cleared, both shot toward each other again.
But just before they struck, a ripple distorted space behind Arvah.
A spatial rift opened behind Arvah another opened behind Dashirsur. Arvah's instincts screamed danger, but he turned too late. A figure stepped from the rift behind him — a tall man with long black hair, wielding a broad sword. At the same moment, a demon with golden hair and black horns emerged behind Dashirsur.
Both swung their swords at the same time.
The blades pierced through Arvah's and Dashirsur's chests, emerging from the front of their bodies. Blood splattered across the shattered ground. The intruders dragged the blades downward, slicing their bodies open with cold precision.
The white-haired man gasped, staring at the blade in disbelief."...So... this is how I die?"
The demon beside him trembled in horror. "T-this can't be... betrayal...?"
Their attackers withdrew the blades without emotion. With their final strength, both Arvah and Dashirsur opened spatial rifts — unstable gateways to somewhere unknown. Their physical bodies collapsed, but their souls flew into the rifts, vanishing into the unknown.
The rifts shut with a soundless ripple, and silence returned to the cosmos.
The golden-haired demon bent down, grabbing Dashirsur's limp body. He stored it in a spatial ring with a flick of his wrist. Blood still seeped from several wounds, staining his fingers.
"They ran with their souls," the mysterious man said, his voice deep and rough. He stored Arvah's body as well. "Even in this condition, they managed to escape."
The man looked around the shattered void. The traces of battle were everywhere — thousands of kilometers of fractured space, floating debris of broken moons, and the lingering presence of near-godly ki. Expressionless, he observed the remnants.
"Let them run," the demon said calmly. "We obtained what we needed. Their souls may have survived, but they are completely broken. They cannot repair themselves now." His eyes gleamed coldly. "They will die anyway."
The man nodded. There was no need to chase crippled souls; the void would devour them in time. Their mission was complete. Without another word, the two figures opened separate spatial rifts. They stepped through, vanishing as the rifts closed behind them.
Silence returned to the void, and two broken souls fled into the unknown.
[500 YEARS LATER]
Far from the battleground of gods, the continent of Kraunca stretched beneath the sky like an ancient sleeping beast. Mountains pierced the clouds, rivers cut across vast plains, and countless cities thrived under the rule of various empires. Despite five centuries passing, not a hint remained of the distant war between the white-haired man and the red-haired demon.
Kraunca was divided into five regions—north, south, east, west, and centre. The southern region was the most prosperous, home to three mighty empires: the Chul Empire to the east, the Mati Empire at the centre, and the Shambh Empire to the west. Each empire was powerful in its own right, supported by the sects within their territories. Farmers, merchants, nobles, and warriors lived within these lands, cultivating ki and striving for strength.
The eastern, central, and western parts of Kraunca were dominated by humans, while the northern lands belonged entirely to demons. Although wars had occurred in the past, fragile tension now maintained balance between the two races.
Strength was everything in Kraunca. Warriors cultivated ki, broke through stages, and aimed for immortality and supremacy. Each realm was divided into nine sub-levels—the nine stars. From the lowest Chakra Opening to Practitioner Warrior, then Master Warrior, Grandmaster, Spirit Warrior, Overlord Warrior, King Warrior, Emperor Warrior, Ancestor Warrior, Venerable Warrior, Half-Saint, Saint, Demigod, God Warrior, God King, and finally God Emperor—the pinnacle of existence.
Only legends had reached the highest peak... and the world believed those legends long dead.
In the Mati Empire, within one of its major cities, Trapura, life bustled as usual. Merchants shouted in the streets, selling herbs, talismans, and weapons. Young cultivators sparred in open courtyards. Guards patrolled the roads to maintain peace.
Among the crowded streets, a sixteen-year-old boy walked quickly, clutching a small package of herbs. His red and black clothing fluttered in the wind, matching his black hair and sharp eyes. His name was Eklavya Rudra, the young master of the Rudra Clan.
His clan mansion stood only a few dozen meters ahead when he spotted someone exiting the main gate—another boy around his age, dressed in a luxurious green outfit and accompanied by two guards. His expression was proud, arrogant, and irritatingly amused. This was Vihaan Marwah, young master of the Marwah Clan.
The moment Vihaan saw Eklavya, he smirked and walked faster, eager for confrontation.
"Oh? If it isn't the young master of the Rudra Clan," Vihaan laughed, stopping in front of him. He glanced at the herb package in Eklavya's hand. "Just came from talking with your clan leader. Did you know… half of the Rudra market is now ours?"
He laughed loudly, clearly mocking him.
Eklavya narrowed his eyes but remained calm. "I don't care about that. If it weren't for dirty tricks, how could my brother have lost last week's battle, Vihaan Marwah?"
Vihaan's expression twitched before he smiled smugly. "Hmm… a win is a win, Eklavya Rudra."
Eklavya smirked coldly. "Move aside."
Vihaan leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I'll see you later. Just you wait."
He turned and left with his guards.
Eklavya exhaled quietly and headed into the clan mansion. When he entered the main hall, he saw his father sitting on the clan leader's chair, hand on his forehead, looking exhausted. His father—a Grandmaster Warrior—was usually proud and strong, but today he seemed worn down.
"Father," Eklavya said, stepping closer. "What happened?"
His father looked up but didn't answer immediately. "Go and practice."
Eklavya frowned. "I already know what happened. I met Vihaan outside."
"What can we do now?" his father sighed. "Your older brother acted impulsively and made that bet. We can't back out of it. Go practice—I will handle this matter."
Eklavya didn't argue. He stepped out just as all six elders of the Rudra Clan walked past him and entered the meeting hall. He glanced back briefly before returning to his room.
Inside, he sat on his bed, closed his eyes, and began cultivating. Ki flowed through his chakra channels in slow, warm streams. His breathing deepened, and his presence grew calm.
But after a few minutes, he felt something shift. A faint ripple. Before he could react, a spatial rift tore open beneath him. The floor vanished as he dropped downward, his scream echoing in distorted space.
[IN A SECRET REALM]
Somewhere far beyond Kraunca—beyond any city, continent, or worldly dimension—stretched a secret realm filled with endless fields of bones. White and grey bones of beasts, humans, demons, and forgotten creatures. Hills of skeletons rose like mountains. The air smelled ancient, heavy with death and lingering soul energy.
Two figures floated above the sea of bones—the souls of Arvah and Dashirsur. They were transparent and faint, barely holding form after centuries of decay.
"It has been five hundred years," Arvah murmured. "Five hundred years of waiting… searching for someone who can inherit our legacy."
Dashirsur glanced at him. "At least we finally found someone."
He formed a hand sign, and energy rippled outward as a rift opened. Seconds later, Eklavya fell out, screaming as he landed on bones.
He scrambled up, eyes wide. Everywhere he looked—bones. Mountains of bones. Skulls staring at him. A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"W-Where am I? Is this hell? What did I do to come here?!"
Then he looked up and froze. Two floating figures hovered before him—glowing, translucent, clearly not alive.
Eklavya screamed. "A-Ahhh!! G-Ghosts!"
Arvah's soul ignored his panic. He pointed at Eklavya, asking the demon, "Is this the person you selected?"
"There wasn't any other option," Dashirsur replied.
Eklavya swallowed heavily. "W-Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"
Arvah spoke first. "We don't have time to explain everything slowly, so listen carefully. You were not chosen for talent. We selected you because you are a new soul—untainted and unconnected."
Eklavya blinked, confused, but before he could respond, the two souls raised their hands. A surge of soul pressure erupted, pushing into Eklavya's consciousness. His mind shook violently as fragments of knowledge, techniques, and memories poured in. He staggered, clutching his head in pain. When it finally stopped, he collapsed to his knees, gasping.
The demon extended a token. "One year from now, this secret realm will open. Use this token to enter. There are many treasures here—take whatever you can."
Eklavya took it with trembling hands. "Why… why would you give me your inheritance? Nothing in this world is free."
Dashirsur smiled faintly. "You owe us two lives."
Eklavya stared. "Huh?"
"First," the demon said, "you must kill Demon God King Mahasura."
Arvah continued, "And second, you must kill God King Avas and bring justice to this world."
Eklavya froze, overwhelmed. "Are you kidding me?! You both… you both are sending me to die!"
"You will not fight them now," Dashirsur said sharply. "Right now, you are not even an ant before them."
Arvah added, "You now carry both our inheritances and our sealed soul power. As you grow, the seal will slowly unlock. And because you inherited demonic power as well, a second soul will awaken inside you. It will be evil—and you must suppress it."
Eklavya stood still, terrified and speechless. "Then… at least tell me your names."
Dashirsur stood proudly. "I am Demon God Emperor Dashirsur."
Arvah followed. "And I am God Emperor Arvah."
A portal opened beneath Eklavya. He didn't even have time to scream before falling through. A second later, he crashed onto the floor of his room as the rift closed behind him.
In the secret realm, the souls of Dashirsur and Arvah dimmed. Their forms flickered, then dissolved into motes of light.
The last remnants of two ancient God Emperors vanished forever.