Seeing the shadow soldiers covering the sky like black clouds made the blood run cold. Clarice could not bear to stand idly by, so she extended her hand with a swift movement and a massive energy beam erupted from it, wiping out vast swathes of soldiers in seconds. However, the shock was bitter; the erased blackness returned to reform and multiply with even greater madness, until the sunlight was completely blocked from the planet.
Clarice turned toward Arius, confusion filling her face for the first time: "Arius! Who are these? And what kind of disgusting magic is this?". Arius replied, his voice filled with tension as he watched the infinite multiplication: "I don't know.. All I know is that they have been hunting me since I left this planet, and it seems they won't stop until they swallow everything!".
Suddenly, the air shook with a cold and harsh aura. On the high palace balcony, Nahira appeared, her features carrying not fear, but a demonic rage. She was looking at those "insects" that dared to defile her own world and planet. She roared with a thunderous voice directed at Arius: "Boy! You are the one who brought this filth to my doorstep.. I swear to you, you will pay a heavy price if they do not leave my world right now!".
Arius found no time to respond to her threats; the situation surpassed words. The "Raizo" aura ignited around his body, and he soared toward the heart of the battle to support Rhinos, Dark, and his soldiers, whose numbers were beginning to get lost amidst the waves of shadows.
A fierce battle began, Arius striking with all his might, tearing shadows apart with his bare hands and burning them with his energy, but every blow he struck was like a new "birth" for his opponents. He was fighting in a vicious circle; the faster and stronger he became, the more his enemies multiplied and swelled.
Arius felt a severe exhaustion begin to creep into his limbs, and amidst this shadow crowding, he shouted to his soldiers: "Rhinos! Gillion! Dark! Find the source! These numbers cannot come out of nowhere, there is a loophole somewhere!".
The atmosphere surrounding Arius ignited, and he was no longer able to restrain the burning anger in his chest as he saw the shadow "insects" mocking his strength in front of Nahira and Clarice. He let out a roar that shook the foundations of the place, and summoned the entirety of his active legions at that moment. A hundred thousand energy soldiers erupted from his body all at once, coming out like a swarm of lethal ants, filling the horizon with their terrifying auras.
The energy explosion resulting from their appearance was enough to tear the planet apart, were it not for the swift intervention of Smith, who enveloped the planet in an insulating energy membrane to prevent its collapse from the force of the collision.
Arius landed on the ground, his breath coming in short gasps as he watched his army crush the shadows in a destructive visual epic. For a moment, he thought it was over, but the shock that froze his features was beyond imagination; the remains of the erased shadows did not merely regenerate, but absorbed the energy of the explosion and multiplied frantically until they outnumbered Arius's army by ninety times!
The blackness completely covered the horizon, and Arius's grand army became a mere white dot in the middle of an ocean of lethal black ink. Terror enveloped the hearts of those present; even Nahira fell into a grim silence upon seeing this invincible threat.
In a moment of clarity amidst the chaos, Arius realized the bitter truth: "They feed on our attacks! The harder we strike, the more matter we give them to multiply!".
Arius raised his hand, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Stop! All of you.. cease attacking immediately!".
The energy soldiers obeyed the order in a single second and retreated to take an absolute defensive stance, forming energy shields to block the raging waves without retaliation. Arius struck his fist against the ground with a force that shattered the rocks beneath him, crying out in helplessness: "Damn it! How do I fight an enemy that grows by my sword? How do I defeat something whose death is a birth?".
Arius stood in the center of the defensive circle, watching millions of shadows battering his soldiers' shields, his mind working at maximum speed to find a way out of this cosmic trap before his soldiers' energy collapsed from depletion.
Amidst this suffocating siege, and at the very moment despair began to creep into everyone's hearts, a suicidal yet uniquely possible idea flashed in Arius's mind. He cried out within himself: "If this existence grants them life, then let nothingness be their grave!".
With lightning speed, Arius invoked the Hisphere state; his eyes turned into a terrifying cosmic brilliance, and he bent his body toward the ground, placing his palms on the soil with a force that shook the surroundings, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Void Field!".
In a single second, a pale gray aura spread and completely enveloped the planet, isolating it from the laws of matter and logic. Arius looked toward a battalion of his soldiers and ordered them: "Attack now!". The soldiers rushed forward and tore apart the shadows closest to them, and for the first time since the start of the battle, the wiped-out shadow did not regenerate, but vanished as if it had never existed!
Arius shouted in exhausted triumph: "It worked! In this field, the law of multiplication does not exist.. erase them all!".
Arius's army surged forward like a roaring hurricane, tearing through millions of shadows that had become incapable of regenerating. But the price was heavy; Arius's body began to tremble violently, and the Raizo within him was being drained at a terrifying rate. He whispered, sparks flying from his eyes: "Damn it.. the Hisphere along with the Void Field are devouring my soul! If only I had fully mastered the Hisphere, it wouldn't consume all this.. maintaining this field is hell itself".
Arius had to focus with absolute precision lest the field collapse or the "void" mistakenly close in on his soldiers and friends, which was the hardest mental test he had ever faced. Sweat began to wash over his body, and his face paled until he looked like the dead.
Clarice saw her fiancé withering before her eyes to protect them, and she could not bear the sight. She ran toward him, placed her palms on his back, and closed her eyes as she pumped massive amounts of her own energy directly into his body. She felt the power of the field trying to crush her, but she screamed: "Hold on, Arius! Take everything I have.. I won't let you collapse here!".
Thanks to Clarice's support, Arius felt a surge of power restore life to his weary limbs. He tightened his grip on the field and roared to his army: "Annihilate them! Do not leave a single shadow to see the light!".
A deathly silence reigned over the battlefield. Arius's soldiers were falling one after another, and with every soldier that fell and was re-summoned, Arius's energy meter screamed, depleting what remained of his life force. The looks of astonishment varied between the terrified Clarice and the watchful Nahira, until the shadow soldiers suddenly stopped moving and withdrew backward like a black tide gathering into a single point.
The shadows formed and condensed until they shaped a massive, mysterious face floating in the sky—a face with mocking features overflowing with brute force. The face spoke with a voice that echoed in Arius's bones before his ears: "It seems you currently feel the extent of my power.. don't you?".
Arius endured his wounds and stood up with difficulty, wiping the blood from his lips, and said in a sharp tone: "What is this thing? And who are you?".
The shadow face laughed a laugh that shook the walls of the palace: "It is nice of you to entertain me a little with this small show, though I wished you would increase my pleasure, 'Arius Ternas Mira I'".
The blood ran cold in Arius's veins, and the words fell like a thunderbolt upon his ears. He thought in panic: "How does this person know my full name? And what does he mean by 'Ternas'? This title.. I haven't heard it in eons!".
Arius shouted while staggering from exhaustion: "Who are you? Show yourself, you coward!".
The face replied with an irritating coldness: "Soon you will know.. when you come and bow before my throne".
Arius mocked despite his pain: "If you were as strong as you claim, you would have faced me yourself instead of hiding behind these cheap shadows".
A sinister smile appeared on the shadow's face: "Fine, you want a confrontation? Then come to my world and challenge me there.. or are you afraid of traps?". Arius answered sharply: "Do you think me naive enough to fall into an open trap like that?".
Here, a hysterical laugh erupted from the shadow: "Yes, you are smart.. but when it comes to the one you love, you will be the absolute fool! You will come to my world by force, whether you like it or not.. because your mother, 'Yuna', is with me now!".
Arius felt as if the earth had split beneath his feet. He screamed in madness: "Liar! My mother is safe in the Sixth World, you are trying to manipulate me!".
"See for yourself.." the shadow said, and suddenly a rift opened in space, displaying a live scene: a dark dungeon, and in its center, a woman bound with chains of black energy. Her features were the very features Arius had never forgotten for a single day.. it was Yuna.
Arius fell to his knees from the shock, his eyes wide, unable to believe what they were seeing, while the shadow's laughter filled the place as it gradually faded away, saying: "I await you in my world.. do not be late, for my patience has limits".
Arius's scream echoed through the palace, a scream torn by regret and spite. He struck the ground with his fist until it cracked, and screamed deep within: "Damn it! How did he reach her?! I did the impossible, traveling and distancing myself between worlds to protect my family, and now what I feared most has happened!".
Clarice approached him, trembling, and placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him: "Arius, please calm down, we will think of a solution...". But he turned to her with eyes burning with a madness she had never seen in him before, and shouted in her face: "Get away from me!".
He rushed like a madman toward the remnants of the shadows that were fading in the air, trying to grasp the last thread of them as he roared: "Where is she?! Tell me, you scum!". But the shadows crumbled in his hands like smoke, leaving him in a vortex of raging anger.
He did not waste a single second; he ran inside, storming into the "Orbital Communications Room." He grabbed the encrypted transmitter of the Sixth World and began dialing the secret code for his family's coordinates, tears almost escaping his eyes from anger. The device rang.. once.. twice.. thrice.. and no answer. He threw the device against the wall, shattering it to pieces, and screamed with a voice that shook the walls of the room: "I will go there.. I will go now!".
Nahira blocked his path at the exit, speaking with her usual coldness but in a firm tone: "Arius, I cannot allow you to leave the planet in this state; you are completely drained and will not arrive alive." Arius looked at her with a terrifying gaze, a gaze that made Nahira feel a real threat for the first time, and said through his teeth: "I must go to see for myself.. do not try to stand in my way."
Nahira saw that his persistence might destroy him or destroy the palace, so she said briefly: "Fine.. I will allow you just this time, go."
Arius ran to the outer courtyard and began gathering what remained of his meager energy particles to activate teleportation. At that moment, Clarice ran toward him, shouting: "Arius! Wait! I'm coming with you!".
But he didn't even look back; he saw nothing but his mother's bound face. The outlines of his body faded in a swift silver brilliance, leaving behind Clarice, who fell to her knees alone.
In a fraction of a second, Arius had pierced the barriers of worlds, finding himself standing in the Sixth World, specifically on Planet Earth. The air was familiar, but the silence enveloping "his family's place" was strange and lethal. He advanced toward the hill with trembling steps, his heart hammering wildly, terrified of what he would find upon his arrival.
Arius stood on the crest of the small hill, the cool breeze brushing against his weary face. From here, he could see his family's house; that place which held his heaviest and most beautiful memories. He stood for seconds gazing at the house with a look of longing and nostalgia that tore his heart, as if trying to recall the image of his mother waving to him from the balcony.
He descended the hill with heavy steps, and when he reached the massive iron gate, he did not open it immediately. He placed his hands on the cold bars, feeling their details and texture, closing his eyes to sense the energy of the place. He breathed deeply, an inhalation carrying the scent of the earth's soil that he had missed, then pushed the gate slowly to let out a familiar creak that pierced the silence of the place.
He walked down the path leading to the house, looking at the garden and the trees that seemed to have aged in his absence. He entered the house, and silence was the first to greet him—a heavy silence broken only by the sound of his strained breaths.
"Mom? Lina? Is anyone here?" he spoke in a low voice, but no response came.
He began to wander through the halls, searching every corner with anxious eyes, but the house was completely empty of bodies, though filled with spirits. He climbed the wooden stairs and headed straight to his room. He opened the door and found everything in its place; his books, his bed, and even the scent of his room had not changed. He did not stay long, for his heart was calling him elsewhere.
He left his room and headed toward his mother Yuna's room. He gripped the doorknob, his hand hesitating for a second, then opened it. The room was meticulously arranged, the bed covered with its usual silk blanket, but it was empty of her warmth.
He approached the bed, and there, on the side table, he saw a wooden frame holding an old photograph. He extended his trembling hand and picked it up. It was a picture of him as a small child, showing Yuna embracing him from behind with a smile overflowing with tenderness, while he laughed with an innocence that his face no longer knew.
Arius stared at the picture for a long time, drowning in the details of his mother's face, and at that moment, he felt the bitterness of loss and weakness. A single tear fell onto the glass of the photo, and he whispered in a broken voice: "I have returned, Mom.. I returned too late, didn't I?".
While he was lost in that moment, he felt an energy approaching the place, so he took the picture, put it in his pocket, and rushed outside with extreme caution.
Arius moved with extreme caution, his eyes scanning the corridors with high focus, searching for the source of that strange energy he had sensed. He descended the stairs in absolute silence, expecting an ambush at every corner, but the house remained as still as a grave. He stepped out into the garden, the cold air whipping his tired face, and as he approached the massive gate to leave, the gate suddenly opened.
Arius froze in his tracks. Lina and Raymos were standing there, astonishment tying their tongues. The bags fell from Lina's hands, while she took a step back, rubbing her eyes as if she were seeing a ghost.
Raymos spoke in a hoarse voice filled with shock: "You..!". Arius raised his sorrow-laden gaze and said in a faint voice: "Hello..".
Lina didn't wait a single second; she launched herself like an arrow and threw herself into Arius's arms, gripping his shirt tightly as if she feared he would evaporate. She began to cry with bitter weeping while striking him weakly on his chest, saying: "Where were you, you idiot?! Why did you leave us like this? Why did you go without a single word? We almost went mad with worry over you!".
Arius tightened his embrace, burying his face in her shoulder for a moment, whispering in a muffled voice: "I'm sorry.. truly sorry.. but I was forced to do so, I had no choice."
Raymos advanced with heavy steps, his features as rigid as stone. He placed his hand on Lina's shoulder and said in a commanding tone: "Lina, get away from him right now!". Lina fiercely refused, increasing her grip on her brother, crying out: "I won't get away! Arius has returned, don't you see?".
Raymos looked at Arius with a contemptuous gaze full of bitterness, and said loudly: "Look at him, Lina! Look at this 'fool' who betrayed our world, and betrayed everything we grew up on for the sake of the First World! He went there chasing his own interest, leaving behind a destruction that no one repaired!".
Lina cried out, defending him while tears covered her face: "That's not true! Arius has his reasons, I know him better than you do, he never betrays!".
Arius remained completely silent. He did not attempt to defend himself, nor did he tell her the story of Nahira, Clarice, or the army he leads. He turned his gaze away toward the distant hills, his features telling the story of a man who bore the burdens of the universe alone, and his silence was heavier than all of Raymos's accusations. He was thinking of "Yuna".. and of how he would tell them that their missing mother was in the grasp of a terrifying shadow creature because of his own sins.
Lina clung tightly to Arius's shirt, as if trying to dig her fingers into his body to prevent him from vanishing again, and said in a faltering voice: "Don't you dare leave us again.. do you hear me? This time I won't let you go!".
Arius looked at her with eyes filled with brokenness, and said in a faint voice: "It is difficult, my sister.. more difficult than you imagine."
Raymos intervened with biting sarcasm, taking a step forward while crossing his arms: "Of course it is difficult! For you are now to become the heir to the ruler of the First World, and her brother-in-law as well after your marriage to her sister.. does one leave all that glory to return here?".
Arius's eyes widened in shock, and he turned toward Raymos, saying: "Wait! How do you know about that? It is not at all as you think, I...".
Lina interrupted him, wiping her tears weakly: "Brother.. we know everything. We watched your engagement ceremony; 'Wang' (Arlin's assistant) showed us that through the vision screens previously. The whole world is talking about your alliance with Nahira."
Arius felt a bitterness in his throat; while he was fighting death and madness in the First World, his family was watching him being led like a sacrifice under the name of "engagement." But he suddenly shook these thoughts from his head when he remembered the main reason for his coming, so he gripped Lina's shoulder and asked her with eagerness and anxiety: "That is not important now.. tell me, Lina, where is my mother?".
Lina was surprised by his panicked tone, and said innocently: "What kind of question is that? Isn't she inside? We left her this morning sleeping before we went shopping.. why do you ask?".
At that moment, Arius felt a chill run down his spine. He narrowed his eyes, his features tightening with suppressed anger as he whispered: "Damn it.. he really did it!".
Raymos noticed this sudden shift in Arius's features, so he approached him cautiously and asked: "What is it? What are you hiding from us, Arius?".
Arius turned toward the gate quickly, gathering the remnants of his remaining energy: "Nothing.. I must go now, and immediately!".
But Raymos blocked his path firmly, placing his hand on Arius's chest to stop him from advancing: "Wait! You are not going anywhere before you make us understand what is going on in your head! Did you come to see our house and then run away again? What happened to my aunt?!".
Arius stood torn between his desire to protect them from the bitter truth that might kill them with terror, and his need to set off after that shadow face that had stolen his mother from under their noses without them noticing.
Arius said in a tone filled with caution and anticipation: "Really.. before you two went out, was she completely alone in the house?". Raymos replied, surprised by his persistence: "Yes, my aunt 'Yuna' was alone. She needed rest, so we went out to run errands.. why do you ask as if a thunderbolt has struck?".
Arius did not reply, but rather exhaled with a sigh of distress and a sense of helplessness that almost destroyed him, and shouted in a muffled voice: "Damn it!". Then he kicked a nearby rock with a force that sent it flying away, tearing through the air, and said without looking at them: "It's best that I leave now.. I will take care of everything."
And before Raymos could utter another word of objection, Arius activated teleportation in the blink of an eye, and his body vanished, leaving behind Lina, who covered her face with her hands as she wept, and Raymos, who remained standing in his place in a state of shock and anger at what Arius was doing.
In the deep space, far from the clamor of the worlds, Arius was flying at his maximum speed, cutting through the void like a raging meteor. He stopped suddenly after a long distance, beginning to catch his breath, which had grown tight from excessive thinking and psychological pressure. He wiped his face with his hand, then opened the blue system screen before him, and asked with a voice trembling with anxiety: "System.. can you determine the location of my mother 'Yuna'? Is she close, or in a distant place, or what?".
The system window popped up quickly, and the response came, bringing a slight relief to his chest: "Location determined successfully. Target 'Yuna' is alive and well, and she is currently in a separate dimension from the Ten Worlds. This dimension is isolated, has its own space-time laws, and deviates from the concept called the Universe."
Arius felt a glimmer of hope and said eagerly: "Where exactly? And how do I reach her?".
The system answered him with technical coldness: **"Physically and logically, this dimension cannot be reached by traditional means. There are only three ways:
Using the energy of a cosmic ruler to distort space-time in a limited manner.
Traveling via an advanced machine designed for inter-dimensional transport.
Through a cosmic testament from a 'high-potency cosmic' being or a supreme authority such as the Builders of Governance."
Arius clenched his fist and said: "Can the Ruler Raizo energy that I possess really work?".
The system replied: "Yes, the method is possible but complicated. You must gather a massive amount of your Ruler energy and focus it into a single geometric point in space, then revolve around that point at a speed exceeding the speed of light by ten times (10x FTL). At that moment, your body will transition from the third physical dimension into that dimension. Note: This method only succeeds on dimensions with a physical pathway, and it has a limited effect and is highly energy-consuming."
Arius looked at his palms, remembering that his energy had dropped to seven hundred billion only. He whispered to himself: "It doesn't matter how much I consume.. and it doesn't matter if this is a trap or not. I will distort the cosmic laws and tear the dimensions apart for her sake."