The Starfall Ascension Tournament had reached its final and most brutal stage—the Ascension Battle. Across the vast expanse of the Milky Way Galaxy, on all thirty planets under the Starfall Covenant, the same moment unfolded in parallel. Each world had forged its own champions through blood, fire, and relentless struggle. No planet watched another, for each stood at the center of its own storm, its own destiny.
On Earth, at the isolated expanse of Point Nemo, the ocean itself seemed to tremble beneath the weight of power gathered above it. The floating arena hovered like a second sun over the endless waters, its once-pristine surface now cracked, reforged, and scarred by countless battles. The air was suffocating, thick with spiritual pressure so dense that even seasoned warriors felt their breathing grow heavy.
The Top 8 stepped forward.
This was no longer a tournament.
This was war.
The signal fell.
And the world shattered into motion.
Ivan Korovin moved first.
The moment his foot touched the arena floor, gravity twisted outward in a violent surge. The stone beneath him collapsed into a deep crater as invisible force crushed everything within range. Across from him, Arjun Varma stood calm, his body surrounded by a blooming Lotus Energy Manifestation, each glowing petal radiating defensive brilliance.
The crushing gravity descended.
The lotus held.
Each petal pulsed, absorbing the pressure and redistributing it outward in controlled waves, preventing Arjun from being flattened instantly. The arena fractured layer by layer, sinking beneath Ivan's overwhelming presence.
But Ivan adapted.
His expression darkened as he raised both hands slowly, as if gripping the fabric of space itself.
Event Horizon Grasp.
The world bent.
The lotus trembled violently—then cracked.
The defensive bloom that had withstood countless attacks began to collapse under the sheer density of Ivan's gravitational force. Arjun's control faltered for the briefest moment—and that moment was enough.
Ivan's fist descended.
Like a falling star.
The impact silenced everything.
The lotus shattered into fragments of fading light as Arjun's body was driven into the arena floor. His techniques dispersed, his energy collapsing inward as consciousness left him.
Ivan stood alone.
Unshaken.
Elsewhere, the battlefield burned with elemental fury.
Zahra Al-Nadir and Diego Silva transformed their arena into a violent storm of fire and lightning. Diego's body became a living tempest, arcs of electricity snapping through the air as he moved with blinding speed. His strikes came like thunderclaps, each one capable of tearing through reinforced defenses.
But Zahra stood firm.
Her aura blazed brighter with each passing second, her connection to solar energy reaching a near-divine intensity. When Diego unleashed his full-force Stormbreaker Punch, the sky itself seemed to split—
And Zahra answered.
Sunfire Pillar.
A towering column of solar fire erupted upward, swallowing the lightning whole. The collision created a blinding explosion that sent waves of heat across the arena, forcing even distant spectators to shield their eyes.
When the flames faded, Diego was still standing—
Barely.
Zahra was untouched.
With one final surge, she unleashed a wave of radiant energy that consumed the battlefield entirely.
Diego fell.
Victory belonged to the sun.
Not far from them, silence reigned.
Marcus Hale and Arata Kurogane stood facing each other, one embodying overwhelming force, the other absolute precision. Marcus raised his hand, and the world bent to his will as gravity collapsed inward, attempting to crush Arata within an inescapable prison.
But Arata was never truly there.
His body flickered.
Vanished.
Marcus increased the pressure, forcing the arena to cave inward—
Too late.
A single black line sliced across the battlefield.
Marcus froze.
The pressure vanished instantly.
Behind him, Arata reappeared, calmly sheathing his Void Katana. The cut had not torn flesh, but something far deeper—his energy flow had been severed in a single, perfect strike.
The battle ended before it truly began.
And then—
Silence.
The entire arena held its breath.
Michael Adarkwah-Yadom stepped forward.
Across from him stood Lin Wei.
No cheers. No noise.
Only tension.
Both warriors understood.
This was not just a fight.
This was a decision.
The signal dropped.
Michael moved first.
The Eclipse Rod spun violently as he activated Solar Resonance Control, the air around him distorting under intense heat. He closed the distance instantly, his strike blazing toward Lin's core with explosive force.
Lin moved.
Minimal.
Efficient.
The Moon-Silver Spear shifted like flowing water, redirecting the attack without resistance. The energy slammed into the arena behind him, shattering stone, but Lin remained untouched.
Michael pressed forward.
No hesitation.
Double Solar Strike.
Twin bursts of solar energy erupted, forcing Lin backward for the first time. The ground beneath them cracked under the immense pressure. But even as he retreated, Lin adapted.
His spear rotated.
Energy compressed.
Dragon-Breath Surge.
The two forces collided.
The explosion swallowed everything.
When the smoke cleared, both warriors still stood.
But the difference had begun to show.
Michael's breathing was heavy. His body strained under the pressure.
Lin remained steady.
Focused.
Michael roared, pushing past his limits. His aura flared brighter, hotter—his attacks became faster, more aggressive, overwhelming. Strike after strike forced Lin into a defensive rhythm.
For a moment—
Michael gained ground.
A direct Solar Strike broke through, grazing Lin's shoulder and forcing him back.
The arena erupted.
But Lin's eyes sharpened.
Everything changed.
His spear no longer reacted—
It controlled.
Each of Michael's attacks was read, redirected, dismantled. His overwhelming force met an unbreakable wall of precision.
Lin stepped forward.
Dragon-Breath Surge—compressed.
The spear struck.
Not explosively—but perfectly.
It pierced through Michael's defenses and impacted his core, sending a controlled shockwave through his entire body. His energy flow destabilized instantly.
Michael staggered.
But he did not fall.
With the last of his strength, he unleashed one final Double Solar Strike at point-blank range.
Everything he had left—
In one attack.
Lin answered.
One thrust.
Perfect.
The spear met the heart of the attack, splitting it apart and redirecting its energy skyward. The backlash struck Michael directly.
His body froze.
Then—
He fell.
Silence.
Lin Wei stood victorious.
As the final echoes of battle faded, the results were declared across the arena and throughout the galaxy.
From Earth:
🥇 1st – Lin Wei (China)
🥈 2nd – Arata Kurogane (Japan)
🥉 3rd – Ivan Korovin (Russia)
🏅 4th – Zahra Al-Nadir (Egypt)
🏅 5th – Michael Adarkwah-Yadom (Ghana)
Across the Milky Way, champions rose from every world—Xylos, Cinder-Lord Ignis, Vara of the Silk-Web, Prince Valerius, and others of terrifying power—all destined to converge upon the same future.
High above, Seraphis Orion descended once more.
"The Starfall Ascension Tournament has ended."
The galaxy roared.
Rewards followed.
Ships of immense power—Speed Bomber B1 for the elite, MiG-15 Starcraft for others—descended from massive hangars. Alongside them came the Storage Rings, vast spatial artifacts capable of holding weapons, armor, and unimaginable resources. Bound by blood and mind, they answered only to their owners.
But even as celebration filled the air—
Something changed.
A crushing mental suppression descended.
Invisible.
Absolute.
Michael and Lin were forced to their knees as a presence beyond comprehension pressed down upon them. The air itself seemed to bow.
From the sky—
A man descended.
Valtherion Draven.
The strongest being on Earth.
A Cosmic Emperor Stage 2… and the only known immortal.
His presence alone distorted reality.
"You cheated," he said coldly.
The words echoed like judgment itself.
Michael clenched his fists, refusing to bow. Lin's aura flared as both of them resisted, unleashing their techniques in defiance—solar fire and draconic energy colliding toward the impossible.
But against a Cosmic Emperor—
They were nothing.
Valtherion laughed.
"You pass."
The pressure vanished.
Shock spread across the arena.
Without another word, he took them.
In an instant, they stood before the dark teleportation gateway in the Himalayas.
Its presence was suffocating.
"I will train you," Valtherion said. "Because what is coming… is beyond all of this."
Time passed.
Days became weeks.
Weeks became months.
Michael and Lin studied the Beast Law, learning the fundamental truths of existence—that humanity was not alone, and that understanding beasts meant understanding power itself.
Two months passed.
Then—
The gateway awakened.
A shockwave spread across Earth.
Valtherion appeared before it instantly, alongside the strongest warriors alive. Lin and Michael arrived from afar, careful not to approach too closely. The aura radiating from the gateway was deadly—dark, ancient, and suffocating.
Valtherion released his Cosmic Emperor aura, clashing against the darkness.
For a moment—
He held it back.
Then another surge erupted.
Stronger.
Wilder.
It shattered his defense.
Valtherion did not strike.
He hesitated.
The aura felt… familiar.
Then—
A voice echoed from within the gateway.
Laughter.
Deep. Hollow. Ancient.
Valtherion's expression changed.
Because within that voice, he sensed something terrifying—
The Law of Darkness.
The Law of Absolute Shadow.
A perfected fusion of void and annihilation.
A voice that had mastered darkness itself.
"Valtherion Draven…"
The voice called out.
"Have you missed me?"