In the sparkling God Realm, Junavale floats weightlessly above a sea of shimmering constellations. Hundreds of magic POV screens swirl around her like orbiting stars, each one showing a different angle of the Star Games. She clutches her head in frustration and groans,
"There's too much to keep up with… so many interesting Stars!"
A mini polar bear guide pops into existence beside her in a puff of glittering smoke. The tiny bear adjusts his little celestial scarf and says,
"Why not just focus on a few you like the most?"
Junavale whips her gaze toward him, eyes blazing with divine conviction.
"That, I cannot do. I am a Gamemaster of the Games. I must be true to such a divine title.
Knowing everyone's story only makes the grand finale so much greater! That is art at its finest."
Her eyes sparks with magic as lots of magic bubbles around the realm pops one by one.
"To know the tales of the entire universe… to see which Star among the billions will prevail!
As a viewer and a designer, I must be invested in them all to truly understand every action and every word spoken by these Stars!"
The bear twirls in the air, paws outstretched dramatically.
"The cost of such beautiful art is capacity and commitment, I suppose… oh well! As for me, I'm keeping it simple. I'm really invested in Voytek and his grandson Hans. This time, I'm sure Voytek will stay until the end, he won't leave Hans behind. And Hans! He has the burning fire of youth. He won't quit either. I can't wait to see how far they make it… or what becomes of them in the end."
The bear finishes speaking with a proud nod to only notice Junavale isn't listening at all.
Her eyes are locked on the sea of magic screens, her divine attention consumed entirely by the chaotic, radiant drama of the Star Games.
Meanwhile, in the ruined castle lands, Nox and his group settle around a bonfire inside a broken stone home. The wind whistles through shattered windows, carrying the distant voices of the other Stars.
Nox sits beside the cracked window frame, eyes on the endless horizon of the outer circle.
"This place is so much bigger than I imagined," he says quietly. "We've still got a long way to go before we reach the central circle."
Voytek lounges near the fire, warming his hands.
"These kinds of games… they're on a scale far beyond anything I faced in the previous Star Games."
He glances back at Hans, who's sleeping peacefully against a wall, his stamina bar slowly regenerating.
"I'm glad the kid's enjoying himself. To be blessed with such powerful allies… I wish I had this experience during my first run."
Nox turns slightly.
"I always wondered what happened to you after the 108th Star Games. You didn't show up for the next one, so… I assumed the worst. But I was wrong. You're doing better than I expected, especially with the kid around."
Voytek chuckles softly and nods.
"I'm surprised my legend spread across so many universes."
His eyes soften as he looks back at Hans.
"After leaving the 108th Game it nearly killed me. Honestly, I thought that was the end too. But Hans reminded me of my younger self. His burning determination has pushed me to step into the Games one more time. One of us has to make it to the end. That's the only way we can see our families again."
Nox raises a brow.
"So your goal is to bring back your family once you become a God?"
Voytek shakes his head slowly.
"That's part of it… but I want more. I want to build a universe where mortals are free from divine chains. No Star Games. No world-level systems. No divine destructions hanging over their heads.
A world where free will is truly free."
Nox nods with respect.
"You've got big dreams, Voytek. I'd be a fool to stand in your way. You're a good man. I honestly hope I see you at the final stage."
Voytek smiles.
"Getting there won't be easy. Since people like you exist." He laughs.
"You and your group… are kind of beyond levels of ultra. But it doesn't matter. As long as Hans is with me, we'll push forward and overcome anything."
Nox smiles back but suddenly the ruined doors burst open.
"NOX! I brought you a present!"
Corvex storms in, carrying a massive treasure chest over her shoulder like it weighs nothing. She slams it onto the stone floor, waking Hans with a jolt.
Corvex flicks open her floating magic inventory, scrolling through dozens of items.
"We killed so many monsters, my inventory is insane… hold on… ah! Found the keys."
Five shimmering keys materialize above her hand, then fly into the five slots of the chest.
The locks click as the runes glows and the treasure chest slowly opens with a heavy, magical creak.
The treasure chest fully open.
Inside lies a mountain of gold coins, glowing softly in the firelight.
Nox steps forward, raising a hand as the coins float upward in shimmering streams, splitting cleanly into equal shares.
"Nice work, Corvex. With this, we can upgrade our gear even further. Here, everyone gets an even cut."
Hans jumps in excitement as he opens his magic shop menu.
With a few quick taps, his clothes and armor shift and upgrade, plates and fabrics reshaping into sturdier forms.
Corvex, still standing by the chest, notices something else buried beneath the gold.
She reaches in and lifts a glowing magic flower, petals made of soft white light.
She pauses. Her eyes widen.
Her inner voice rings through her thoughts
"I remember this from my favorite book… Hearts Over Flowers. When you're interested in someone, you should give them special gifts such as food, jewelry, or flowers. Yes. This is my perfect moment."
She spins around, hiding her nerves behind a bright smile.
"Nox! Here! This is another special gift from me to you. This one represents… my feelings toward you."
She holds it out with both hands.
Nox blinks, surprised, then gently takes the flower from her.
"Wow… thanks, Corvex. This could really come in handy."
A description appears above the item:
"Gather 25 Magic Heart Flowers to earn a unique, one-time-use powerful spell."
Nox nods with approval.
"Rest up, Corvex. We'll need all the stamina we can get if we want to reach the central circle."
Corvex's face turns bright red.
She can swear she sees a flicker of excitement on Nox's face.
Trying to hide her flustered smile, she hops onto her blanket, pulls the covers over herself, and curls up, blushing happily.
Meanwhile, Voytek rummages through the remaining space in the chest and pulls out the last item: a worn leather book.
He opens it, stares at the pages as he quietly closes it.
He then walks over to Hans and hands it to him.
"Hans. Take a look at this. It has information about the central circle bosses."
Hans's eyes light up.
He snatches the book eagerly.
"Thanks, Gramps! I'll read it all and tell everyone everything I've learn from it!"
Voytek sits down on a broken stone pillar, watching his grandson read with genuine joy.
For the first time in a long while, he smiles softly before closing his eyes to rest.
Nox lies back with his hands behind his head, staring at the cracked ceiling above.
"I wonder how everyone else is doing," he murmurs.
"There's still so much to do."
As he looks at his magic friend list menu as he can see the names, Hans- in party, Voytek -in party, Corvex- in party, Kayle- online, Tomi-online, Gaia-online, Jayden online, Mako- online.
He then closes his eyes as the night deepens.
Meanwhile at another area of the outer circle, high atop a shattered mountain peak, dust and rubble roll down the slopes.
A giant monster crow, level 40, plummets out of the sky and slams into the mountain its HP bar finally hits zero.
Its massive corpse dissolves into black particles.
Khaos stands on its skull, bone sword buried deep, chest heaving as he exhales hard.
Torrents of EXP orbs rush into him, spiraling around his body until his level spikes to 25.
Pieces of new gear materialize, bone armor plates and a bone crow helmet, both pulsing with dark magic.
A notification pings.
Khaos opens his magic friend-list menu.
Gilga — online — calling.
He taps it.
Gilga's voice echoes inside his head:
"I'm surprised. Even a low level like you can solo a mini-boss. Your stats are far beyond than the normal stats, Khaos. Anyway, we're almost done here too. We'll meet up soon for item and coin exchanges."
Khaos wipes dirt from his cheek.
"It'll take some time. I'm over-encumbered."
Meanwhile, in the blazing desert…
Gilga, level 16, ends the call with a flick of his hand.
Ahead, a massive worm monster, level 44, thrashes violently.
Gilga's pawn zombies tear at it, only to be devoured and swallowed whole as the worm dives underground.
Baron steps beside him, dust swirling around her feet.
Her level reads 15.
"Logically, it's insane to challenge something this high level," she says, twirling dramatically and striking a pose.
"But with our skills we can absolutely do it."
She points toward the ground beneath the worm.
"Erupt!"
Suddenly every zombie the worm just devoured detonates inside its body.
The desert shakes as a huge explosion rips upward.
The worm bursts from the sand, shrieking in pain, its HP bar plummeting.
It spots Gilga and Baron.
Its mouth opens wide, charging a massive energy blast.
Baron grins.
"Throw me at it. I'll make an even bigger explosion!"
Gilga summons a colossal, muscle-stacked zombie.
The giant zombie grabs Baron by the waist and hurls her like a missile.
The worm fires the energy blast.
Gilga's giant zombie steps in front and absorbs the attack, shielding him.
Baron barely slips past the beam, surfing the side of the energy blast as she skids along it.
She flicks a magic bomb downward into the blast.
"Erupt!"
The bomb detonates, obliterating the energy beam and launching Baron forward at incredible speed.
She lands atop the worm's head.
She jams another magic bomb deep into its skull.
Baron backflips off and free-falls as she shouts:
"SUPER ERUPTION!"
The bomb erupts.
A colossal explosion lights up the desert.
The worm's HP drops instantly to zero.
Baron throws a web bomb below herself and lands safely as magic EXP orbs swirl into her as her level shoots to 22.
She laughs, stretching her arms out to the sun.
"That was fun! And to think, my people tried to keep all this fun away from us!"
Gilga walks beside her, raising one hand.
Green magic sparks around him.
From the worm's remains, a giant worm zombie rises, obedient, undead, and powerful.
Gilga's level climbs to 24.
"I could've handled it myself," he says.
"But I don't like wasting too many summons. Still, well done, Baron. At this rate, we'll clear this stage easily."
Meanwhile, on Planet Isha, inside Kairo's dimly lit laboratory, Zion and Sunny finish watching the recorded battle on a large digital screen. The footage ends, static fading across the display, and Zion steps toward a massive machine resting at the center of the lab. He taps several holographic buttons, stirring the device awake with a rising mechanical hum.
Sunny watches nervously.
"Sir Zion… are you planning to contact the Gem Nobles again?" he asks.
Zion keeps pressing commands.
"Yes. But this time, I'm going to them."
Sunny blinks.
"I—I don't think we can. No other nobles have ever managed to reach the Gem Realm before."
The machine projects a floating panel: VERIFY IDENTIFICATION.
A grid of scanning lights sweeps across Zion's entire body.
Sunny steps closer, worried.
"We're not Gem Nobles. Is that even possible?"
Zion smirks without looking back.
"Have faith."
The panel flashes green:
KAIRO EVERJADE — APPRENTICE IDENTIFIED: ZION PLATINUMGREY.
EMERGENCY MEETING REQUESTED.
The humming intensifies, lights flaring across the machine.
Zion adds calmly,
"Have you forgotten that Kairo chose me as his apprentice. If anything happens to him, his position becomes mine. That's the only reason the other Gem Nobles made contact with us before."
Sunny's eyes widen.
"Oh—right. Good luck, Sir Zion!"
Energy bursts from the machine, engulfing Zion in a spiraling beam that tears him from the room.
His body reforms in the dark digital expanse of the Gem Realm. The air here is thick with glitching black clouds. At the center of the void float two colossal digital planets, pulsing faintly like beating hearts.
A sharp whir echoes behind him. A floating mechanical chair approaches, carrying the silhouette of a noblewoman encased in shimmering brown digital armor.
Zion instantly bows.
"I am here to report."
The figure stops before him.
"You may stand."
He rises as she introduces herself.
"I am Gem Noble Iris BoomingCateye. Tell me the status of Kairo EverJade."
Zion answers steadily,
"Kairo managed to enter the restricted area, but the people of RA defeated him. He has been captured. After that… we lost connection to his body cam."
Iris's eyes narrow with interest.
"The people of RA are far more capable than we believed. Show me."
Zion flicks his fingers, creating a holographic replay of Kairo's POV. The footage shows Kairo falling to the ground as he then stands up to face Kayle, Basil, Rose, Vel, and Wade, then the sudden appearance of Susan, whose digital arm stabs the camera, cutting the feed to black.
Iris studies every face.
"So your exiled noble brother and his wife stand among them."
"Yes, I am aware." Zion confirms. "And the Boas has joined forces with them as well."
Iris continues watching.
"I also recognize some who competed in the Star Games… Rose Diamondfuel, and the purple-skinned horned woman. They died in the games. How are they in Isha right now?"
Zion answers,
"Boa's spiritual magic. He must had send their souls here and my brother probably created robotic bodies for them."
Iris folds her arms.
"You would be foolish to attempt recreating the weapon Kairo used to infiltrate RA. So I assume you came here seeking for more power."
Zion bows his head slightly.
"Yes, Gem Noble Iris. Grant me strength, and we will eliminate this threat once and for all."
She considers his words… then nods.
"The other Gem Nobles are occupied, but this is a crisis even Kairo failed to resolve. If power is what you seek, then power you shall receive. I will join you myself to remove this threat."
She rewinds the footage again, this time pausing on Susan, studying her with a deep, calculating gaze.