Zaiyal, Hermes, Alan, Mira, Ungar, Tatu, Narcis Martreya and Scott Greer,
had all embarked on their journey in Nova's ship they had began to process of going
through space and time into the wormhole, on the other side was the Other World. As
Nova's ship accelerated into the wormhole, the fabric of space and time twisted around
them. Colors beyond mortal comprehension swirled outside the viewport, shifting
between hues of deep violet and piercing gold. The ship's systems hummed with a steady
pulse, guiding them toward the Other World—a realm beyond conventional reality. Inside
the ship, the crew braced themselves. Hermes, seated near the navigation controls, felt the
energy of the wormhole tug at her very essence. The visions had shown her glimpses of
this place before, but now, she would see it with her own eyes. Ungar stood with his arms
crossed, his crimson gaze fixed on the swirling void outside. "No turning back now," he
muttered. Zaiyal, ever stoic, adjusted his combat gloves. "We've all made our choice. The
only thing left is to face what's coming." Mira turned to Hermes. "What exactly are we
expecting on the other side?" Hermes exhaled sharply. "It's... hard to explain. The Other
World is unlike any place we've been before. Time doesn't flow normally there. It's a
convergence of everything—past, present, and future intertwined." Scott Greer frowned.
"So we're stepping into a paradox?" "Something like that," Hermes replied. "But it's also
where we'll find the Crystal Sea." The name sent a ripple of silence through the group.
They all understood its significance. Drinking from the Crystal Sea was the first step to
unlocking something greater—power, knowledge, and the ability to stand against the
forces that threatened the universe. Narcis Martreya smirked. "Even though I'm a Buddha
and have felt the grace and serenity of enlightenment, I've always wanted to know what
enlightenment tastes like." Tatu chuckled. "I've been living in the Other World for 1,000
years but I've never seen the Crystal Sea, let alone tasted it. Let's just hope it's not as bad
as Nova's cooking." Tatu turned towards Zaiyal and said: "But seriously when we land on
the Isle of the White Diamonds, an old friend of ours is waiting for us. Are old furry
friends. King Yama gave me permission to bring him back, on our way out of Other
World. He only let me bring back one person for my good behavior." Zaiyal stammered:
"You can't mean... Sarai. Sarai will be coming with us, the original, not the clone that
Nova made." Tatu nodded. Nova's ship trembled as it neared the threshold of the
wormhole, the final barrier between realms. The colors outside intensified, shifting and
warping as if the laws of reality were being rewritten in real-time. A deep hum resonated
through the vessel, not mechanical, but something more—something ancient.
A sudden jolt threw everyone slightly off balance as the ship breached the veil.
Then, silence. The swirling void gave way to an ethereal expanse—a sky of endless silver, with floating land masses drifting like islands in a sea of cosmic mist. Colossal
structures of crystalline spires pierced the heavens, reflecting the ambient glow of an
unseen sun. Below them stretched an infinite ocean, its waters shimmering with hues of
white and pale blue, glowing like liquid stardust. Below was pink water in an endless
ocean with giant sea monsters, giant flying birds and other incredible sights. Mira's
breath caught in her throat.
"This is..." "The Other World," Hermes finished, her voice
barely above a whisper. Even though she had seen glimpses in her visions, the sheer
magnitude of the place overwhelmed her. Ungar expertly piloted the ship toward their
destination: a vast floating landmass encrusted with what looked like white diamonds,
each one as large as a mountain. As they descended, the energy in the air became
tangible, brushing against their skin like static charge. As they prepared to land, Tatu
turned to Zaiyal. "I wasn't joking. King Yama granted me permission to bring back one
soul with me. And you were right—it's Sarai." Zaiyal's hands clenched into fists. The
name alone sent a storm of emotions through him. "The real Sarai... After all this time?"
Tatu nodded. "Not the clone Nova created. The one you lost." A mixture of hope and
apprehension flashed across Zaiyal's face. He had come to terms with Sarai's loss long
ago, or so he thought. Now, the prospect of seeing her again—of having her back—felt
unreal. Scott Greer folded his arms. "Bringing back the dead... I didn't think even King
Yama would allow that, this is ridiculous then again, I was never really a religious man."
Tatu smirked. "I earned it. A thousand years of keeping my nose clean in the Other
World tends to get you favors." Narcis Martreya chuckled. "I suppose we should be
honored, then. Few ever get a second chance at life." As the ship gently touched down on
the Isle of the White Diamonds, a figure stood waiting at the landing zone. A woman, her
long dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her silver eyes gleaming with recognition,
her form bathed in the ethereal glow of the realm. Sarai. Zaiyal took a hesitant step
forward, his heart hammering in his chest. "Sarai... is it really you?" "You know it is, it's
been too long, old friend." Zaiyal and Sarai embraced each other it had been over 1,000
years since they last met each other after all.
Far from Nova's ship, Talus drifted alone in the vastness of space, his body
glowing faintly with remnants of his previous battle's energy. His mind was a warzone,
his thoughts colliding with each other in a storm of rage and confusion. Ungar's words
refused to leave him. You know you're becoming more like us. He clenched his fists, his
body trembling. Damn them. Damn them all. Yet, despite his anger, he couldn't ignore
the feeling deep within his core—the feeling that something had shifted. That for the first
time in his life, he wasn't certain of what he wanted. A presence stirred behind him. Talus
turned sharply, eyes narrowing as he saw the figure approaching—floating effortlessly through the void, draped in robes of starfire, his golden eyes glowing with unreadable
wisdom. "Ozymandias," Talus muttered. "What do you want?" The ancient warrior
regarded him calmly. "The same thing you do, Talus. Answers." Talus scoffed. "You think
I'm looking for answers? I know exactly who I am." Ozymandias tilted his head. "Do
you?" The silence that followed was suffocating. For the first time, Talus had no
response. And somewhere, far beyond the known universe, a cosmic force
stirred—watching, waiting, and preparing for what was to come. The real war had yet to
begin.
Back in the Other World, all of the old friends began to keep up with each other
when Daniel appeared by himself from a portal. Zaiyal turned around without showing
any emotion and said, "Where's Uvia?" Daniel scoffed: "She won't be joining us for a
while, I don't know what she's up to." Zaiyal breathed a sigh of relief: "I guess that
means we'll be spared from those clowns for the time being at least." Sarai for his part
ran up to Daniel tears flowing from his face, he began to lick Zaiyal's face like a dog [he
was a wolf alien after all]. Daniel was caught off balance, "What are you doing?!" Sarai
began to cry: "I never saw or heard you were in the Other World, what happened?! I
know you died in the battle with Lucifer too." Daniel's tough exterior broke down and he
began to weep like a child, "I don't know what happened, I wanted to kill you all because
of what Ungar did to me, but now that I see Sarai, I don't know anymore." Zaiyal was
shocked as if a switch had been turned and in an instant Daniel had reverted, "but I
suppose it makes sense ever since we arrived he was viewed with hostility. All it took
was a little love and Daniel was capable of change." Tatu walked up slowly to everyone,
"finally the old team's back together." Daniel asked, "What do you mean?" Tatu: "Think
about it, it's me (Tatu), Sarai, Narcis Martreya, Zaiyal, Daniel and Ungar. We were
the original six warriors that took on everyone, Ebisu, Lord Tep, Lucifer (well I guess I
was gone for that one), and now whoever knows what we're facing or what we'll face
next." Narcis Martreya said in a serene voice: "And we get to see Zaiyal's homeplanet,
maybe we'll get some real horror stories from legends about his clan." Zaiyal blinked
quickly with shock, "Now, what on earth is that supposed to mean?!" Hermes chuckled,
"you can tell these six have been through a lot with each other." Hermes had flashes of
the past from the first moment in Daniel's story when he woke up in that forest and met
Ungar in the forest after his death on Earth to the present time. The memories flashed in
her mind like a compilation. A memory: Daniel waking up in the forest, and seeing the
towering figure of armor covered in armor that covered every inch of his body, his black
cape, red eyes and red piercing eyes, "Hello Daniel, I am Ungar a guide sent by the God
Ebisu to protect you." After this a memory flashed of Daniel fighting a younger teenage
Zaiyal in the Helion Academy. Daniel was angered after the battle: "So this little elf thinks he's worthy to be my rival. I'm a member of the Solarian warrior race, I'm the son
of a duke, who does this worthless bottom feeder think he is!" Another memory of Sarai
landing after being hired by Demon King Taipei to destroy Daniel, Zaiyal, Aquarius
(Zaiyal's late future first wife) and everyone else, Sarai running up to his ship: "It's over
you ridiculous fools, this planet is history!!"
Sarai charging up the laser on the ship that
would destroy the planet with Daniel flying upwards with his sword slicing through the
ship causing it to explode and Sarai's body crashing into the earth, as Ungar was about to
destroy Sarai, Daniel sparred him begging for Ungar to stop it. Another image of a tyrant
named Narcis, a light Elf who sought nothing short than wolf determination, who was
destroying all religions in his empire and oppressing their followers as he was the only
thing to be worshipped as a God. He was able to conquer an upstart empire with his great
magic powers, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! I will become God and sit upon a divine
throne!! This world will soon bow before me!! It's mine for the taking!!" Daniel and
Narcis leaped into battle but Narcis was defeated with a single punch crashing into the
earth causing the immediate collapse of his upstart empire. Everyone among his people
left him. Daniel told Ungar and Zaiyal to spare him, and Narcis went into a Buddhist
Monastery in the wilderness after this. And eventually attended the University after
meeting with Ungar at the temple where Ungar found him. And finally a Wasp Prince
who begrudgingly sided with them after they found they had a common foe [Tatu]. Tatu
had the same goal that Narcis had, 'world determination.' But he sacrificed his life in the
battle with Lord Tep. Destroying himself and buying Daniel time. After all this Hermes
saw Sarai turned into a demon by Lucifer in the battle and then destroyed by Lucifer. And
after this Lucifer shoots a ray through Daniel's chest killing him. Everyone fast-forward
to the moment she was witnessing. After seeing all this Hermes broke down in tears.
Daniel and the others ran up to her and asked her what was wrong.
Hermes explained: "Nothing I just witnessed what all of you had been through in
the last 1,000 years and it was just... just beautiful. If I can (God willing) I'll make sure
you'll never be ripped apart again. Zaiyal responded: "Well we can do something for
you." As he said this they all bowed before her. "I attest that Hermes is the true Prophet
of the Qadian line, may the Unseen bestow glory upon her, we are her first followers and
we will help to ensure that her message spreads throughout the Cosmos and beyond."
Hermes was taken aback. Alan stood up, "I know you're scarred but I know you'll do
great, after me you are the smartest one in our class." Hermes ran over to Alan and began
to hug him, "Stop, I don't stand a chance right now, you know how emotional I am after
seeing those memories." As everyone was laughing Ungar signaled to Daniel, "We need
to talk." Daniel followed Ungar to where we walked, "What do you want?" Ungar
immediately said: "I want to apologize for what I did to you, I have realized that I may have done it for nothing, you see the Caterpillar told me to do it, but I think he planned to
destroy us by first getting rid of you." Daniel was taken aback, "THE CATERPILLAR?!
What on earth are you talking about????!!!" Ungar shouted: "I'M NOT ASKING FOR
YOUR FORGIVENESS! If you want to seal me in a bottle and throw me for eternity in
hyperspace be my guest, but this doesn't just concern you and me, it concerns all of us."
Daniel knew he wasn't lying, Ungar rarely used that tone. "Okay, I believe you.
Explain!"
Ungar paused: "I didn't realize it until very recently. A few days ago Sun
Wukong told me..." In the flashback: "Old Monkey has seen many such cases. There is a
parasite in that Talus friend of yours brain. It's a little black caterpillar. I saw it with my
golden eyes, I also saw Talus's fate, long ago I saw Master Tripitaka's fate that he would
be tortured by the authorities after our journey to Tagatha's Mountain in India, and I
usually do not interfere right away. Talus will survive, and he will change for the better,
but for now he is under the control of some creature." Ungar continued his explanation:
"Years ago, remember Ebisu had the black caterpillar that infiltrated his mind. The
Caterpillar said to me that it was from Lord Tep and as soon as Lord Tep is destroyed and
sent to the Demon World the essence of the Caterpillar will go with him. Well... we saw
Lord Tep recently in the Demon World, but yet, the Caterpillar survives, the same one
that controlled Ebisu is now controlling Talus. So... either the Caterpillar was wrong..."
Daniel interrupted him: "Unlikely." Ungar said: "So now that you know what I know you
seem to fear it as well." Daniel paused and then asked: "Who knows about this?" Ungar
replied: "No one except for me, Talus (who is oblivious to it), Sun Wukong and now
you." Daniel paused: "I'll contact Uvia, maybe the Demons can help us, I've lived with
them for 1,000 years. I honestly trust them less than all of you, but they're the only ones
who can keep tabs on him, maybe they have a solution."
Ungar crossed his arms, "You read my mind. That's why I told you about it
Daniel." Daniel held his finger to his temple. He closed his eyes, and silenced his mind.
"Uvia, Uvia, can you hear me?" A moment of silence stretched between Daniel and
Ungar as Daniel reached out telepathically. The space around them seemed to hold its
breath. Then, a faint whisper echoed in Daniel's mind. "You... again. How unexpected." It
was Uvia. "I need your help," Daniel projected. A sharp chuckle reverberated through his
thoughts. "You? Asking me for help? My, my, what a strange twist of fate. What is it,
Daniel? Or should I say... traitor?" Daniel clenched his jaw, forcing his emotions into
check. "I don't have time for your games. It's about Talus. There's something inside
him—something controlling him. A parasite, a Caterpillar, the same one that took Ebisu.
We need to find a way to remove it before it's too late." A pause. Then, Uvia's voice came
again, but this time, there was no trace of amusement. "If that's true, then you don't
understand what you're up against." Daniel's pulse quickened. "Explain."
"The Caterpillar is not a mere parasite. It is a fragment—an extension of something far
greater. You and Ungar are playing with forces beyond your comprehension." Daniel
frowned. "Then tell me what it is," said Daniel. "No. Not like this. This is bigger than just
Talus. If the Caterpillar still exists, then something... someone ... is pulling the strings
from beyond the veil. I will come. But if you've deceived me, Daniel, I will personally rip
your mind apart." Daniel exhaled, breaking the connection. He opened his eyes to find
Ungar watching him intently. "She's coming," Daniel muttered. Ungar grunted. "Then we
better prepare for whatever truth she brings." The air around them felt heavier now, as if
the Other World itself sensed what was coming. Somewhere in the cosmic distance,
unseen forces shifted, whispering their own prophecies.
Juvia appeared from a portal, everyone was brought together. "Where's the rest of
the crew?" said Zaiyal. Uvia exalted, "there in the equivalent of dealing with Demon
World TSA it'll be some time before they arrive. I honestly wasn't expecting to be here
so soon myself. I had some affairs to take care of, but according to Daniel we have an
emergency," Ungar interjected: "That's fine! Everyone listens to her, this is important."
Uvia took a deep breath: "I think we know who's behind these strange forces that are
attacking the Galactic Federation. And it affects everyone. You see us in the Demon
Realm discovered that the strange disappearances of space colonies and the war between
the Federation and the Empire of Apolonia are intimately connected." Zaiyal took a deep
breath thinking to himself: "What does she mean? How on earth could there be a
connection between the two? The mysterious forces are destroying Appolonian bases as
well, this doesn't make any sense." Uvia continued: "You see the King Apollo XIII of the
Apollonian Empire, an intergalactic empire that controls no less than 200 Galaxies has
recently been toying with AI (Artificial Intelligence). The idea was that the King would
create an AI God that would solve all of this Universe's problems, overpopulation (as
many of the races of the empire's population reproduced asexually), economic woes,
energy problems, the problem of mortality, etc. but the king became greedy and he
merged himself with the AI. The AI unleashed a greedy opportunist. The old god." Alan
said confused: "The old God? Like the Old Gods in different cultures, I read about earth
cultures like Rome, Egypt, and the Norse adopted Old Gods alongside the Gods. Could
this be what she's talking about?"... Uvia confirmed his statement: "Yes, in many cultures
there is a concept of the Old Gods and New Gods. One Civilization will die out and the
old gods or some of the old gods will be incorporated into the culture as monsters, ogres
and other nefarious creatures as the previous culture marginalizes the gods of other
cultures. Well in this case this occurred on an intergalactic scale. God as far as we can tell
or some divine force created this Universe and it was ruled melovanetly, without any life
in it, a Universe of death devoid of life. Hermes interjected loudly: "My visions, told me
about this. About an ancient deity that devours stars and worlds. A god that is angry over
its lowered status." Uvia: "That makes sense as you are a Prophet that had these Visions.
And I have no doubt that's what you were seeing in your visions. In any event, eventually
a new god drove out this old god into the shadows, the being can see into countless
worlds but has chosen this world to be his plaything, he seeks to return. And now he must
think AI will resurrect his full power." After a long pause Zaiyal shouted: "Well, who is
it???!! Do you know the identity of this Old God?!" Ungar replied: "It's the Caterpillar."
Everyone was shocked, there was a silent panic that set in. Hermes, Alan and Mira
were confused. "No that can't be right, he guided us for this long?! He's always had our
best interest at heart," said Narcis. Daniel interjected: "Perhaps to get us to this point."
After the commotion died down, Uvea explained the situation with Talus. She explained
that the first seal needed to be dealt with. Everyone absorbed this new information at their
own pace. A heavy silence settled over the group. The realization that the
Caterpillar—the entity that had guided, manipulated, and influenced them for so
long—was in fact the harbinger of an ancient, forgotten god sent a ripple of unease
through their ranks.
Hermes clenched her fists. "If the Caterpillar has been playing all of you all this
time, then every choice you've made under its guidance... every battle, every sacrifice...
it was all leading us here." Zaiyal exhaled sharply, his mind racing. "But why? What does
it want from us? If it's truly a fragment of the Old God, what's the endgame?" Uvia
crossed her arms. "That's what we need to figure out. Perhaps it simply wants its former
station, to destroy all life and once again rule over an empty lifeless universe, perhaps
this is only part of its desire, perhaps something completely different, it is obviously
unclear at this point, we can only speculate. But before we do anything, we need to deal
with Talus. If the Caterpillar's influence is inside him, then he's more than just a
victim—he's a key." Ungar nodded. "Sun Wukong said Talus would survive, but that
doesn't mean he'll be the same person when this is over. If we don't act now, we might
lose him completely." Mira's gaze darkened. "Or worse—he might become the vessel for
something we can't stop." Scott Greer, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
"Alright, so let's assume we can remove this parasite from Talus. How do we do it? And
what happens to him afterward?" Uvia's expression hardened. "I have an idea. There's an
ancient place in the Other World—a forgotten temple that predates even King Yama's
rule. It was built to imprison beings like the Old God. If we bring Talus there, we might
be able to extract the Caterpillar and seal it away before it regains its full power."
Zaiyal narrowed his eyes. "And what if it's already too late?"
Uvia didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked toward the horizon, where the
shimmering sky of the Other World stretched endlessly. "Then we pray we're strong
enough to stop what comes next." Ungar replied: "We can't think like that. But there's
good news, time goes by faster in the Other World. Nova is a few days from completing
the ship, that's 10 minutes in the Other World. Talus and the others we'll be here soon.
"Uvia, Where is the temple?!" Uvia: "It's near the Seal of Revelation by the Crystal Sea."
Ungar: "Perfect! We can seal the gate from this mad god's servants, these things that the
late Emperor Zaidon foolishly used to make his ship! And if the thing isn't stopped
maybe we can get to the bottom of what this thing's trying to accomplish."
A sudden tremor ran through the ground beneath them. The air grew heavy,
charged with unseen energy. The very fabric of the Other World seemed to ripple, as if
reacting to their conversation. Hermes stepped forward. "That's not a good sign." Narcis
Martreya closed his eyes, feeling the energy shift. "No, it's not. I think... something
knows we're here." Far beyond their sight, in the endless void between realities, a pair of
unseen eyes slowly opened. A whisper, ancient and hungry, echoed through the cosmic
abyss. A message was given to Hermes which she conveyed verbally: "They have
begun to understand. But understanding... will not save them. The will of the almighty
God and the Unseen that she serves will not serve her in the war with the so-called Old
God." "We need to restrain him right away, because something is coming, and they want
to take him first," said Hermes.
In the distance were several figures that came from a portal under the water, they
were, "the Wandering Jew," Cartaphilus, baptised as Joseph. Cartaphilus was a Jew
who taunted Jesus Christ at the crucifixion by the Romans and the Jewish Leaders the
Pharisees, at Calvary. He mocked Jesus Christ calling him, 'a false Messiah,' and that he
was 'not the King of the Jews.' Upon hearing this Jesus cursed him by making the man
live forever until the time of Revelation or the Day of Judgement. He had been alive for
100,000 years now and falsely believed this AI God would usher in the final battle
between Jesus Christ and the Antichrist. Cartaphilus converted to Christianity and
accepted Jesus Christ as his God and his lord and savior, he was still known as "the
Wandering Jew," and arrived with two other figures. Tik and Tok, two powerful Dark Elf
Warriors, all three of them were ready to take Talus as the harbinger of the Old God.
Meanwhile Nova arrived in a ship with 10 individuals including Talus as well as:
Qayyim's father Nova, Qayyim, Daniel-02, Sir Rhyme, Beatrice Jihad, Agora Jihad,
Alexa Jihad, and Noah. Several other figures were still in the process of arriving from
the portal which were: the Zaikat-Rangers, Ozymandias, Hawkman, the Green Wisp,
Demi, Sarah and Kai. They were still in the process of arriving through Uvia's porta.
Everyone noticed Nova's ship arriving but Uvia noticed the aura of Joseph, Tik and
Tok, heading towards them trying to take Talus for their own purposes.
Uvia explained who was coming as soon as Nova and the others disembarked
from the plane and that Talus was the one they wanted to kidnap. This statement excited
Talus and gave him incredible joy. "Let them come. You should see how strong I've
become. None of you get in my way unless you want to pay the ultimate price. I'm going
to defeat all of these fools quickly, just watch," said Talus. As Talus stood defiantly, an
eerie wind swirled around him, his eyes flashing with an unnatural glimmer. Talus
levitated upwards until he faced them directly. The power within him, the influence of the
Caterpillar, pulsed in sync with the approaching figures. They first appeared as dots in the
distance but then abruptly stopped in front of him. The Wandering Jew, Cartaphilus, and
the dark elves, Tik and Tok, flew a little closer to Talus, their presence distorting the very
air around them.
"Talus, you have been chosen," Cartaphilus intoned, his voice layered with the weight of
a thousand lifetimes. "The Old God stirs, and you are the key to his return." Talus
sneered. "Is that so? Then come and claim me if you dare. I'd love to see you try. But I'll
make it easy, I'll limit myself to 5% of my power, lets see if you can keep up." Ungar
shouted: "WHAT?!" Before anyone else could react, Talus erupted into motion. His aura
flared, crackling with raw energy, and he lunged at Tik with inhuman speed. Their clash
sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. Tik barely managed to block the blow,
but the force behind it sent him skidding backward. Nova stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Talus! Stop this madness! You are not yourself!" Talus turned to Nova, his expression
twisted in both rage and exhilaration. "You're wrong. I've never been more myself! The
power I hold now, it surpasses anything you could comprehend!" He turned back to
Cartaphilus. "You want to take me? Prove you're worthy!" Uvia, watching closely, felt
the weight of the moment. She turned to Hermes. "This isn't just Talus talking. The Old
God's influence is rising. If we don't act now, we may not get another chance." Hermes
nodded, stepping forward. "Talus, listen to me. You don't have to fight this alone.
Whatever this thing inside you is, we can help. We can free you." Talus hesitated for the
briefest of moments. A flicker of recognition crossed his face. But the influence of the
Caterpillar surged, twisting his thoughts, reinforcing his arrogance. "I don't need saving. I
need a challenge!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked. Dark tendrils of energy slithered from
the fissures, wrapping around Talus's feet. His eyes widened as a voice, deep and ancient,
whispered in his mind. You are almost ready... but not yet.
Talus screamed in defiance, fighting against the unseen force, but his body convulsed.
The energy lashed out, forcing everyone back. Uvia braced herself. "This is it. The Old
God is trying to take full control." Zaiyal raised his weapon [the Spirit Blade]. "We need
to stop this now!" Daniel-02, standing beside Nova, clenched his fists. "Then let's do
what we came here to do." A battle unlike any before was about to begin, one that would
determine not just Talus's fate, but the fate of the entire cosmos. The sky above darkened,
the stars flickering as if aware of the looming horror. In the distance, a deep, rumbling
laugh echoed through the void. The Old God was watching.