The world reacted slowly to Arakio's awakening.
Not because it did not notice him—but because it did not know how to respond.
For centuries, power in the multiverse had followed patterns. Gods rose and fell. Heroes burned bright and faded. Monsters devoured until they were hunted down. Every force fit somewhere in the great equation of existence.
Arakio did not.
He was a remainder.
A variable.
A Name That Spreads
Within days, whispers escaped Eclipse Academy.
Not rumors—records.
A boy who stabilized collapsing realities.
A student who judged convergence cores instead of destroying them.
A being whose power did not spike… but decided.
Different worlds named him differently.
Some called him The Sovereign of Hunger.
Others, The Balance-Breaker.
A few, more fearful, whispered World-Ender-in-Waiting.
Arakio heard none of it.
He felt it.
Every stare that lingered too long.
Every conversation that stopped when he entered a room.
The academy had not expelled him.
But it had shifted away from him.
Gods Take Notice
Beyond the academy, far above conventional reality, ancient beings convened.
Not in a hall.
Not in a realm.
In consensus.
"He has crossed the threshold," one voice echoed, layered with eternity.
"Stage Five should not exist in mortal hands."
Another presence responded, colder.
"He did not ascend through worship or inheritance. He chose."
That unsettled them more than power ever could.
"Variables destabilize prophecy," a third voice warned.
"If left unchecked, he may invalidate entire divine frameworks."
Silence followed.
Then a decision.
"Observe. Do not interfere. Not yet."
Even gods feared acting first.
Back at the Academy
Arakio resumed training.
Not because he needed strength—but because he needed normalcy.
Jiho sparred with him every morning.
Riko adjusted formations and tactics obsessively, as if preparing for a war she refused to name.
Ayakio stayed close, grounding him in small moments—shared meals, quiet conversations, familiar laughter.
"You're drifting," she told him one evening.
"I'm still here," Arakio replied.
She shook her head.
"No. You're everywhere else too."
He had no answer.
Because she was right.
The First Challenge
It happened during a joint academy exercise.
A senior-ranked student—gifted, brilliant, proud—stepped forward.
"I challenge Arakio," he announced.
The arena fell silent.
Not because of excitement.
Because of fear.
The instructors hesitated.
The council watched closely.
Arakio met the challenger's eyes.
He saw it instantly.
Not malice.
Insecurity.
"If I fight you," Arakio said calmly, "you won't prove anything."
The challenger clenched his fists.
"That's not your decision."
Arakio nodded.
"Then let's make it quick."
A Fight Without Impact
The duel began.
Mana surged.
Barriers rose.
The challenger unleashed everything—precision, technique, raw force.
Arakio did not move.
The attacks slowed.
Not blocked.
Not absorbed.
Simply… lost relevance.
Reality bent slightly around Arakio, redirecting force harmlessly away.
The challenger fell to his knees, breathless, untouched but defeated.
"I couldn't reach you," he whispered.
Arakio helped him stand.
"You're not weak," he said quietly.
"You're just not meant to fight what I've become."
That terrified everyone more than violence would have.
A Council Decision
That night, the Eclipse Council finalized their judgment.
Arakio was summoned.
"You will continue as a student," the headmaster said, voice unreadable.
"But you will no longer participate in standard rankings, duels, or missions."
"Because you're afraid?" Arakio asked.
The headmaster did not deny it.
"Because the system breaks around you," he replied.
"And broken systems panic."
Arakio accepted the verdict.
But as he turned to leave, the headmaster spoke again.
"Be careful, Arakio."
"With what?"
"With choosing."
The Whisper Returns
That night, alone under a fractured sky, Arakio felt it again.
Not Hunger.
Not Light.
Not Darkness.
They fear you, Nothingness murmured softly.
That means you're doing something right.
Arakio clenched his fists.
"I won't become what ends everything."
A pause.
Then laughter—quiet, amused.
Everyone who changes the story says that.
A Line Is Drawn
Arakio looked out over the academy.
Over the worlds he had saved.
Over the ones yet to fall.
"If the gods won't act," he said aloud,
"Then I will."
The Hunger stirred—not eagerly, not violently—
But in agreement.
Chapter 17 Summary / Cliffhanger
Arakio becomes known across worlds
Gods acknowledge him as a dangerous variable
Academy begins distancing itself from him
Duel proves Arakio exists beyond normal power scaling
Council removes him from standard systems
Nothingness actively engages him again
Arakio chooses action over waiting