In an instant, the stage vanishes beneath Rudi's feet.
The cheering audience, the judges, and even the Seeker himself disappear as the world around her is replaced by a bustling futuristic metropolis filled with towering skyscrapers, flying vehicles, glowing holograms, and countless civilians walking through the crowded streets without the slightest idea of the catastrophe about to unfold.
Rudi instinctively looks upward.
Her heart nearly stops.
High above the city, an enormous blazing meteor tears through the atmosphere, its fiery trail stretching across the sky like the end of the world itself.
Within seconds, sirens begin blaring across the city.
People scream and traffic comes to a standstill.
The peaceful streets instantly dissolve into complete chaos as millions desperately flee for their lives.
Rudi immediately bursts into action, weaving through the terrified crowds as she shoves people out of the way, narrowly avoiding those running in the opposite direction while searching desperately for any possible escape.
Her eyes suddenly lock onto several flying vehicles soaring above the streets.
"If I can get one of those..."
Without wasting another second, she rushes into the nearest skyscraper, charging up countless flights of stairs two at a time before crashing through the rooftop doors.
The wind violently whips against her face.
Then she jumps.
Her body sails through the air before landing on top of a passing flying car.
The sudden impact rocks the vehicle violently.
Inside, the frightened driver desperately swerves left and right, trying to throw the unexpected passenger from his roof.
Rudi refuses to let go.
She slams her fist against the glass.
"Open the door!"
The terrified driver shakes his head.
"No! Find your own ride!"
Rudi pushes through and raises her body high before driving her knee into the passenger window with every ounce of strength she has.
The reinforced glass finally shatters.
She dives inside, kicks the driver from his own vehicle, and immediately grabs the controls.
The stolen car rockets through the sky.
Warning messages suddenly flash across the dashboard.
「WARNING: Vehicle Not Rated For Space Travel」
Rudi slams the dashboard in frustration.
"Damn it!"
She looks around wildly.
"There has to be another way!"
As the meteor rain falls onto the planet, the entire city begins collapsing beneath endless explosions.
Rudie then notices something in the distance.
Hundreds of spaceships are launching toward the sky from another section of the planet.
Hope fills her eyes as she immediately accelerates toward them.
As she approaches, the scenery changes dramatically.
This district is far wealthier.
Every luxurious mansion has its own private launch platform, with spaceships parked inside enormous backyards as rich families desperately rush aboard while emergency alarms echo throughout the neighborhood.
Without slowing down Rudi drives her flying car directly through the fence of one of the mansions.
The vehicle crashes violently across the lawn.
Straight into a fleeing family, the impact sends several people flying.
Half of the family dies instantly beneath the wreckage as Rudi slowly steps out of the ruined vehicle.
She freezes for a moment, looking at the lifeless bodies.
She forces herself to look away before sprinting toward the family's waiting spaceship.
The husband reacts first.
"Stop her!"
Several uncles immediately rush forward.
They tackle Rudi to the ground before repeatedly punching and kicking her as she desperately struggles beneath them.
Meanwhile, another uncle reaches the spaceship and begins starting its engines.
The countdown begins.
The husband turns back toward his wife.
She hasn't moved.
She remains kneeling beside the bodies of their dead children, tears streaming endlessly down her face.
He desperately reaches for her.
"We have to go!"
She pushes his hand away.
She refuses to leave them behind.
Watching everything unfold...
Rudi's heart begins breaking.
"...I'm..."
Her voice trembles.
"...I'm so sorry..."
Another violent tremor shakes the mansion.
Rudi suddenly lashes out.
She slams her forehead into one uncle's face, knocking him backward before biting deeply into another man's arm until blood sprays everywhere.
A third uncle punches her across the jaw.
She stumbles then another meteor crashes nearby.
The entire backyard erupts and everyone loses their balance.
Rudi immediately seizes the opportunity.
She tackles one uncle to the ground, biting into the side of his neck before shoving him away and sprinting toward the spaceship.
She leaps inside just as the engines finish starting as she fights with the other uncle inside.
The two wrestle violently inside the cockpit, smashing against control panels before Rudi finally wraps both arms around his neck and chokes him unconscious as she can also see from the cockpit window.
She sees the husband still desperately trying to pull his wife toward the ship.
The woman refuses to move and remains beside her children crying.
Eventually the husband stops struggling and slowly kneels beside her, holding her.
Rudi watches them as tears stream down her face.
She whispers softly
"...I'm sorry..."
Then the spaceship launches leaving the family behind.
The vessel climbs higher and higher above the dying world.
As cities burn below and continents split apart from the falling meteors.
Rudi grips the controls tightly.
She keeps whispering to herself.
"I'm sorry..."
Again and again until suddenly she stops with her eyes widen.
"...Wait..."
She grips her head.
"...This isn't even real..."
Her breathing grows heavier.
"...So why..."
She looks at her trembling hands.
"...Why does it feel so real...?"
Without warning a blood-covered flying car suddenly crashes directly into the side of her spaceship.
The tremendous impact sends the vessel spiraling uncontrollably before smashing into the side of a towering skyscraper and the cockpit erupts in sparks.
Barely conscious, Rudi slowly crawls toward the controls.
Then she notices the destroyed flying car lodged against the ship.
Inside is the husband from before as he is dead from the crash.
Rudi desperately attempts to restart the engines but it doesn't start as panic overtakes her.
"Come on..."
She slams the controls repeatedly.
Suddenly a blinding light comes into view and she slowly turns toward the window.
An enormous meteor is moments away from colliding with the skyscraper.
Her pupils shrink.
"No..."
She reaches desperately toward the controls one final time.
"I won't let it end like this!"
The meteor strikes.
The entire city disappears within a blinding explosion.
Rudi suddenly gasps for air as she finds herself standing once again upon the Seeker's stage, her entire body drenched in sweat as she collapses to one knee, breathing so heavily that it feels as though she had truly experienced the end of the world.
She slowly raises her head to see the audience as their faces shows disappointment.
One by one—
Judge One, Judge Two, Judge Three, and Judge Four presses a button ahead of them as it shows an giant red X.
Finally—
The Seeker slowly presses his own judgment.
Another glowing X appears above her.
The Seeker's voice echoes across the silent stadium.
"You are... unworthy."
A gigantic crimson X descends from above and engulfs her body as she vanishes with no trace.
Meanwhile, back within the Waiting Room, Jayden and the others watch in silence as Rudi's name under the Queue slowly changes from white to red.
Vesper quietly exhales.
"Seems like she failed."
Without giving them time to grieve, another glowing selection orb appears beside the name list and begins rapidly jumping between the remaining names.
Then it suddenly comes to a halt.
「Vesper」
A soft white light begins surrounding his body.
Vesper simply smiles.
He casually raises a hand toward his teammates and gives them a relaxed wave.
"Well then... see you all in a moment."
His body dissolves into countless white flower petals before vanishing from the Waiting Room.
The next instant, Vesper materializes beneath the brilliant spotlights of the Seeker's grand stage.
Unlike Rudi before him, he doesn't appear nervous in the slightest.
Instead, he slowly scans the enormous stadium with genuine fascination, admiring the endless rows of celestial spectators, the four silent judges seated before him, and finally the towering throne where the Seeker quietly watches.
A smile slowly spreads across his face.
He places one hand over his chest before giving an elegant bow.
"My name is Vesper."
He slowly straightens himself.
"I am simply a mortal who wishes to experience everything that life has to offer, to witness every possible path, every emotion, every difficult choice, and every moment that a person could ever encounter during their lifetime."
He begins walking slowly across the stage as though giving a speech instead of standing before judges who held his life in their hands.
"Imagine any common experience a mortal could have..."
He chuckles softly.
"...and there is a good chance that I've already lived through it."
He spreads both arms.
"I see life as nothing more than one enormous bucket list, and every new experience I gain is another memory that makes this journey worthwhile."
His eyes drift toward the audience.
"That is what it truly means.....to live."
After a brief pause, Vesper raises a finger toward the Seeker himself.
The audience murmurs.
Even the judges seem slightly intrigued.
"You and I..."
He smiles knowingly.
"...are actually quite similar."
The Seeker remains silent.
Vesper continues.
"We both seek something new."
"We both search endlessly for experiences we've never had before."
"We both chase the unknown simply because boredom is perhaps the greatest enemy of all."
He lowers his hand.
"The only difference..."
He chuckles.
"...is where we're standing."
He gestures between himself and the throne.
"You're the one judging the stories..."
He taps his own chest.
"...while I'm the one living them."
The stadium grows completely silent.
Then Vesper smiles even wider.
"Unfortunately..."
He shrugs casually.
"...I'm about to disappoint every single one of you."
Several audience members whisper among themselves.
"Because today..."
He folds both hands behind his back.
"...my performance will be..."
A pause.
"...absolutely nothing!"
The judges blink.
Even the Seeker narrows his eyes slightly.
Vesper simply stands there.
Completely still.
Then laughs quietly.
"You see..."
He looks toward the darkness beyond the audience.
"...I have complete faith in my companions."
His voice grows warmer.
"Someone among them will undoubtedly prove themselves worthy."
He smiles proudly.
"So today..."
He bows respectfully toward the Seeker.
"...I'll add something new to my bucket list."
He closes his eyes.
"Being a complete disappointment..."
A faint grin returns.
"...at the exact moment when life and death were on the line."
He remains bowed.
The audience falls silent.
One by one—
The judges slowly press their X buttons.
The Seeker watches him for several moments longer before finally speaking.
A faint smile appears across the celestial being's face.
"Such unwavering confidence..."
He slowly raises one hand over his own judgment button.
"...I sincerely hope..."
Click.
"...that your faith is not misplaced."
The Seeker presses his button.
A gigantic glowing X descends from above.
Vesper doesn't move.
Instead he embraces it and laughs.
As though he had simply experienced yet another interesting chapter of life.
The crimson X crashes into him and his body dissolves into countless glowing petals before disappearing completely.
Back inside the Waiting Room everyone watches silently.
Vesper's name slowly changes from white to red.
Pax's eyes widen.
"...That was fast."
Even Jayden looks surprised.
The selection orb immediately returns, bouncing rapidly between the remaining names once again.
Then it stops.
「Pax」
White light immediately surrounds his body.
Pax exhales confidently before looking toward Jayden and Ambros.
He taps the side of his robotic head.
"Don't worry..."
A confident smile appears.
"...I've got this."
The light intensifies.
His body bursts apart into glowing white flower petals.
And in the next instant Pax appears upon the Seeker's stage, ready to present his own talent.
Pax materializes beneath the brilliant lights of the Seeker's stage, his mechanical eyes immediately scanning the massive stadium as thousands upon thousands of celestial spectators stare down at him in complete silence.
He takes a confident step forward.
"My name is Pax Orda.. .and my talent is—"
"Enough."
The Seeker interrupts him before he can finish.
His voice echoes throughout the entire stadium.
He leans slightly forward upon his enormous throne, studying Pax with curious eyes.
A faint smile forms.
"So..."
"...this is one of the companions in whom he placed all of his faith. How disappointing."
Pax blinks.
"...What?"
The Seeker slowly rises from his throne.
"I've watched countless Stars stand upon this very stage throughout the ages."
He points directly at Pax.
"And from the moment I laid eyes upon you..."
"...I already knew the performance you intended to give."
The audience grows quiet.
"Your body..."
"Your expression..."
"The hatred buried within your soul..."
He frown knowingly.
"...all tell the same story."
"Your talent..."
A pause.
"...is rage."
Pax's eyes widen.
"...Is it really that obvious?"
The Seeker nods.
"Indeed."
He slowly raises one hand.
"Very well."
"Then I shall grant you the same trial that every rage-filled soul before you has attempted."
He snaps his fingers.
Seven enormous crimson doors suddenly materialize across the stage, each one standing directly behind the previous one, their surfaces glowing with increasingly darker shades of red.
The pressure radiating from them alone causes the entire stadium to tremble.
The Seeker gestures toward them.
"These...are the Seven Gates of Rage."
"Each gate measures the true depth of one's wrath."
His voice becomes heavier.
"Should your fist break through the seventh gate...I shall acknowledge your rage as something I have never witnessed before."
Pax slowly walks toward the doors as he closes his eyes.
Silence surrounds him.
Then a magical screen appears behind him.
His memories begin playing before the audience.
Planet Lilac and its destruction.
His desperate struggle to survive on Planet Scargo.
The endless battles against Khaos.
The blood, the suffering and Ethan.
His closest friend dying before his eyes shortly before entering the Star Games.
Pax's fists slowly tighten and his breathing becomes heavier.
The screen behind him begins changing.
The image of Khaos repeatedly appears again and again.
Until crimson flames consume the memories themselves.
Pax opens his eyes, his entire body erupts with violent red rage aura.
The ground beneath him begins cracking and his mechanical arm trembles violently.
Then he roars, a roar filled with hatred, pain, loss, and vengeance.
"KHHHAAAOOOOSSS!!!"
He explodes forward.
His fist drives into the first gate.
The first door shatters instantly.
Without slowing his fist crashes through the second then through the third.
Each explosion becomes louder than the last.
His punch collides with the fourth gate as it trembles violently.
Cracks begin spreading across its surface, Pax roars louder.
Trying to force it forward as the door continues shaking but for several long seconds, it looks as though it might break.
Then everything stops.
The cracks cease spreading and the fourth gate remains standing.
Pax's fist slowly falls.
His eyes widen in disbelief.
"...No..."
The audience remains completely silent.
Then one by one the Judges presses their X Button.
The Seeker slowly stands.
Looking down upon Pax without mockery.
Only disappointment.
"You have failed..... Rage...exists in countless forms your is merely premature rage."
The stadium falls silent.
"True rage..."
His voice lowers.
"...does not disappear simply because it meets something stronger. It continues. It burns. It refuses to die."
His eyes seem almost ancient.
"...even when death itself has already claimed it..."
He points directly at Pax.
"...the greatest rage still lingers beyond death!"
A long pause.
"A rage that everyone can feel, a rage that could cause chaos through out all the universes, yet you do not possess that kind of rage."
The Seeker slowly returns to his throne.
"Your hatred....stopped at the moment of being powerless."
He presses the final X button.
A massive crimson X crashes down from above as it engulfs him instantly.
His body dissolves into countless glowing particles before vanishing completely.
Back inside the Waiting Room...
Pax's name slowly fades before turning red.
Silence fills the room once again.
Only Jayden and Ambros remains as Ambros get nervous and the random selection has chosen Jayden to be next.