-Continuing the previous clash-
A high-speed clash unfolded as their speeds no longer remained confined to the world of Lastnine; they had raced from one world to another countless times, traversing realms beyond any possible count. Every slash and every blow that landed caused an explosion that completely shattered the structure of the surrounding worlds, causing both the worlds and their reverse sides—the anti-worlds—to collapse entirely. When a world or its anti-world was destroyed, the other half would inevitably follow.
Mary wielded her staff, firing countless beams of light that erased every human and abstract aspect of Ahinel, but the woman regenerated at godly speed and delivered a punch straight into Mary's stomach, shattering the entire world's structure along with Mary herself. Yet Mary's unyielding determination to kill Ahinel granted her complete immunity to all attacks, even in that state.
Speed was no longer about keeping up—it had become a matter of who could adapt faster. Every strike unleashed destroyed everything around them.
Mary grasped a layer of fiction in her hand, forged it into a sword, assumed a stance, and charged at Ahinel, slashing her in half. But Ahinel only laughed, regenerating instantly, grabbing Mary's head and hurling her through countless worlds. Then Ahinel fired a beam of light that caused total, flattening destruction, wiping out innumerable worlds within its range.
Mary emerged from the devastation and charged at Ahinel once more, slicing her in half. This time, Ahinel's fate and causality had been severed.
Mary shouted:
"Your destiny ends here!"
Ahinel spun around in rage, glaring at Mary, and snarled:
"Don't get so cocky, you little brat!"
Ahinel attempted to regenerate, but she realized she could not—she could no longer restore her own fate and causality. Shock overtook her. Mary struck from behind with a blow Ahinel could not deny, forcing her to dodge. Mary then bent the world itself, erasing Ahinel from every concept of existence, from all information, stories, and laws. Ahinel no longer existed in time or space; no aspect of her remained.
Yet she reborn from the void with a demonic grin. With a single strike, she completely shattered Mary's sword and inflicted corrosive damage across Mary's body, causing her to scream and collapse.
Ahinel laughed triumphantly and declared:
"You think your power—and that half-breed's—is enough to kill me?! Never! Emperors like me can never truly be killed. What you've been touching is only the shell; what lies within is merely a projection from a higher realm!"
Suddenly, a wave of illusion and terror crashed over Ahinel. She slowly looked up and saw only a shadow—a shadow whose existence was absent. It stood independent of everything, beyond all influence, yet Ahinel felt it was everywhere at once, across every timeline, every past, present, and future, every possible moment. It was as if Ahinel herself was merely a collectible before "Creation."
Creation is all within one.
Creation is one within all.
Every infinite world depended upon that black shadow.
Those words echoed in Ahinel's mind because they were immutable truth. Every concept that opposed it, every law that denied it, every piece of information or story that tried to refute it—all were nothing but deception, lies, subjective delusions that Creation could erase at will, along with everything that had "happened" in this very story.
But then the shadow vanished, returning everything to its original state—yet leaving Ahinel in utter terror.
She looked down at Mary and whispered to herself:
"D-damn it… Is there something even more omnipotent and omniscient? I thought… we were the pinnacle…"
Ahinel slowly forced a sneer.
"It seems like 'that person' has already left, so I'll kill you quickly too. Go ahead and try your best to destroy me. After all, the emperors you've seen are merely avatars we use to easily rule over you. Our true forms, often called 'cores,' are kept in a higher realm that you can hardly ever reach."
Mary's mind drifted hazily into the distance, reminiscing about her memories with Jasmine, Jacob, and Lastnine. Among those memories, one stood out: Lastnine was sitting and drinking water when he said to her, Jasmine, and Jacob:
"Always remember this one thing: growth is infinite. There is never an endpoint. If you encounter a powerful enemy, become stronger than them and adapt even better."
A faint smile slowly formed on Mary's lips. She opened her eyes wide and stared directly at Ahinel. A blinding golden light suddenly burst forth, illuminating every world — near or far — and affecting everything within them. Mary stepped forward; her eyes had turned pure gold, and she now wielded a golden sword in her hand.
Seeing this, Ahinel immediately unleashed an attack that completely erased the world they were standing on. She manipulated the very concept of life and wiped it out, yet Mary remained alive, causing Ahinel to be visibly shocked.
Mary declared:
"If you truly believe you can kill me by manipulating and destroying the concepts that sustain and influence all worlds, then you are mistaken. I no longer exist within the concept of 'life.' And I don't just manipulate or destroy — I control and am immune to them!"
Mary charged toward Ahinel and swung her sword in a devastating wide-area slash. From within the smoke and debris, Ahinel flew out with a face full of rage and disbelief.
Ahinel roared in fury:
"You think that kind of power is enough to survive against me?!"
Ahinel soared through the layers of clouds and rained down beams of light upon the worlds, causing countless deaths. Before Ahinel could react, Mary had already appeared behind her. With one decisive slash, she cleaved Ahinel in two, seemingly erasing her completely.
Mary breathed heavily and thought to herself:
"She must have—"
"Dead?"
Mary spun around in shock and saw Ahinel standing there with that same mocking smile.
Ahinel laughed and said:
"You think attacks that erase life can actually kill us?! We are undeniable. We are the foundation of this world's order!"
Suddenly, a scythe slash forced Ahinel to step back in order to see who it was. The person who could boldly come here shocked Ahinel — it was Jam, the one who could fight on equal footing with the Void Emperor. With a single swing of his scythe, he severed Ahinel's arm, causing her to scream in agony.
Jam chuckled and said:
"Wow, looks like the undeniable part was not correct, huh? But does it really matter? I can still do this to that Void Emperor guy!"
Ahinel retreated in fear, staring at her cleanly severed arm in shock, thinking:
"H-he can deny my regeneration?! Impossible… Only those with the same fundamental nature of power can—"
Before Ahinel could react, Jack was already behind her. With one decisive strike, he completely killed Ahinel, severing her head. Jack smiled and turned to look at Mary, who was still frozen in place, overwhelmed by extreme terror from the energy Jam was radiating.
Mary thought to herself:
"W-what kind of monster is this guy?! I'm completely terrified of him. With the others, I only cried, but this one… What is this feeling…?"
While Mary was paralyzed by fear, Jam suddenly appeared in front of her, looking at her with a puzzled expression. Then Jack and Alice walked out of the gate. Jam turned his head and shouted: "Hey, I scared this little girl. Any way to calm her down?"
Alice came over to examine her. After a moment, she said:
"She's just frozen because she's too scared of your energy. Let me handle it."
Alice snapped her fingers, releasing energy that made Mary faint. Jack and Alice were about to leave when Jam turned back, picked up the unconscious Mary, and carried her back into Lastnine's space.
He looked around and chuckled:
"So this is where Plato's concepts are born and spread to all worlds. I've never felt what Plato is like in the empty Counter-World. Not even the concept of nothingness exists there. But you guys always get to see the beauty of this cruel world, huh? That's why you try so hard to save it."
Jam gently placed Mary down and, before leaving, tossed something to her.
In Mary's subconscious—
Mary slowly opened her eyes and looked around at everything when suddenly a blow struck her head, making her cry out:
"AH! IT HURTS!"
Jacob said:
"You know it hurts and you still tried to go back and fight that woman? You're lucky Jam showed up to save you, otherwise both of you would've been done for."
Mary, with a gloomy expression, said:
"I know… but when I saw someone I considered a friend get killed right in front of me, I couldn't just let those evil people do as they pleased… I have to show that even if the world is hopeless, there is still a light of hope."
Mary stood up with a determined look and gazed at Jacob, saying:
"That's why I won't let everything disappear before my eyes! Even if I have to fight the Emperor, I'll fight to the very end!"
Jacob burst out laughing and said:
"Courage is good and all, but there are a few things that need to be cleared up. The Emperor isn't some ordinary being. The records have said a lot about these kinds of entities—they are beings who no longer belong to any world, existing beyond the very plane of existence itself. They're incomprehensible. As you've seen, even though Ahinel was cut down and her core has merged with you… that was only her avatar body."
Mary was shocked upon hearing that. In a surprised voice, she asked:
"S-so… the thing we fought with our lives on the line was just a portion of energy extracted from Ahinel?"
Jacob nodded and said:
"Exactly. Every world has its own layer of the world where the foundational principles of existence—such as concepts and order—serve to sustain the world. Each world-layer contains different sub-layers. A lower layer of the world cannot touch or perceive the higher ones in their true essence. And so it continues, forming an endless vast collection with no final point. It advances toward infinity, never stopping—from the finite progressing toward the infinite."
Mary asked:
"W-wait, so everything is advancing toward infinity, even the anti-worlds?!"
Jacob nodded.
"That's right. Everything, including the anti-worlds, will advance toward infinity. If the lowest anti-world is a place where even the concept of nothingness no longer exists, then the higher anti-worlds will progress even further."
"So that means the essence we fought… because that essence simply existed on the same plane of existence as us, we were able to understand it?"
Jacob shook his head.
"Both right and wrong. We could interact with her because she used a physical, flesh-and-blood form of her essence. That doesn't mean we can truly understand her, or affect her."
Mary shook her head in resignation and sighed.
"So after everything… we couldn't do anything at all… Then what's the point of even trying?"
Jacob slowly stepped closer and gently patted Mary's head to comfort her.
"This proves that we are still growing. That is what gives meaning. Everything we do has meaning—the abilities we use, will use, and have used across the past, present, and infinite possible futures. You may not see it now, but when you grow older and look back, you'll realize just how much it shaped who you are. So don't let the present discourage you. Keep going, and prove to the world that even if something is finite, it can still advance toward infinity."
Hearing those words of encouragement, Mary slowly began to smile—not a smile of mockery or blame, but one of acceptance.
"You're right. This world still holds so much meaning… and I will prove the things you said—the things Jasmine believes in!"
Jacob and Mary looked at each other with smiles on their faces and shook hands. Suddenly, a surge of energy flowed into Mary, causing her pain, yet at the same time elevating her power to a higher level.
—In the real world—
In every world that exists at the deepest layer, when the essence of Ahinel dies, every concept, every order, everything related to light—including all information and stories about light—vanishes. The linear timelines no longer contain light and are soon replaced when Mary absorbs the nature of Ahinel's essence. She slowly regains consciousness and looks around. She feels the changes within herself: her pure, incomplete ray of light now walks side by side with something else that is waiting to be released. With extremely labored steps, she slowly makes her way toward Lastnine's house, thinking to herself:
"Everyone is trying so hard… then I will too. Wait for me, Jasmine."
—Meanwhile, in Cryzar's ice world—
Frost looks down at the rubble, searching for any sign of whether Jasmine is still alive. Cryzar watches with a smile and says:
"Was that a bit much…?"
Cryzar shrugs, treating Jasmine's death as a matter of course, and continues:
"That kid probably can't die anyway."
—Inside Jasmine's subconscious—
Jasmine lies motionless while Azurel looks at him. Azurel appears irritated and says:
"Hey! How much longer are you gonna just sit there? We're about to get erased because you refuse to keep going!"
Jasmine sighs, his voice completely devoid of any will to fight:
"What's the point of fighting anymore? Frost is way too strong for us. We've tried everything, but it just absorbs and adapts to everything. I don't even want to fight anymore… just leave me alone."
Azurel, furious, grabs Jasmine by the collar and shouts:
"HEY! RIGHT NOW YOU'RE DRAGGING ME TO DIE WITH YOU, YOU DEAD DOG! YOU MIGHT NOT CARE, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU WANT YOU TO KEEP FIGHTING AND WIN!"
Jasmine's face twists with anger as he replies:
"You think I don't know that?! Look—we've already tried every possible method and nothing works against Frost! What chance do we even have?!"
Azurel punches Jasmine square in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. Azurel points at Jasmine's face and roars in pure rage:
"THEN FIND A WAY, DAMN IT! You've got a brain! You were trained by that Lastnine guy—one of the beings who stand above all creation—and you're just gonna give up that easily?! Get back up and adapt to that penguin bastard!"
Jasmine refuses to back down. He stands up, grabs Azurel's collar with his left hand, and says:
"Fine. You and I are gonna beat that penguin, and I'll show you that I'm the stronger one here!"
Azurel bursts out laughing. Like a reunion, Jasmine and Azurel slam their foreheads together, and a surge of energy evolves them to a new level.
—Back in Cryzar's ice world—
Cryzar and Frost are about to leave when the ice world suddenly trembles under the will of youth. Footsteps sound from beneath the rubble. Ice blocks fall toward the figure but are slowed and then completely stopped—time around them freezes. Cryzar smirks at the sight and says:
"Welcome back, Jasmine."
Jasmine walks out wearing a black vest, dress shirt, and tie, the collar of his coat raised, black gloves on his hands. His eyes have changed from pure black to red. Frost scowls and asks:
"I thought you were dead?"
Jasmine replies calmly:
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm beyond life and death. Only when you completely erase me will I cease to exist."
Frost stares at him for a moment before asking:
"I remember you had two swords. Where's the other one?"
Jasmine glances around and answers:
"I found it too cumbersome, so I just turned it into part of my power."
Before Frost can speak again, Jasmine's eyes widen. Suddenly, fire erupts on Frost's arm. Frost is startled and tries to extinguish it with ice, but the flames refuse to die until Frost pours more energy into the ice. The fire finally vanishes. Frost, irritated, says:
"You got past my defenses… interesting."
Cryzar thinks to himself while stroking his chin:
"He bypassed Frost's Empty Space… Frost's Empty Space is a special ability—everything around him becomes an endless void. You can't reach Frost unless you overcome it. Teleportation gets instantly pushed back to the starting point. You can't tear space because there is no space to tear. Yet this kid's power ignores all distance, as well as cause and effect. In other words, the cause should have been the Empty Space and the result should have been prevention… but Jasmine's cause was fire and the result was fire on Frost's shoulder. He rewrote both cause and effect… this is getting more and more interesting!"
Frost stares down at Jasmine. Then Jasmine teleports right in front of Frost and swings Yamamura in a slash that actually wounds Frost. Frost is stunned and stammers:
"Y-You… You can actually get through?!"
Jasmine says nothing. Frost, enraged, charges at him. The battle between the two adapters begins once more.
—To be continued—