By the end of it Talus was beaten to a bloody pulp. X threw him to the ground, "Pathetic." Elrisa and Elsa were shaking, they were powerful but much of their power had been taken from them by the dark god they encountered 2,400 years ago and sent them to this world. It wasn't long until Prince Lupus stepped forward landing in front of Talus's bloodied body. "Look at you, you really shit the bed didn't you. Let a real warrior handle this. I've been training non-stop for the last two years for just such an occasion." Lupus smirked. I agree with the tin. Can you just fight, "You're pathetic." Lupus kicked Talus in the jaw and sent him flying into Ungar's arms. Ungar shouted: "Lupus! Are you sure you know what you're doing?!" Lupus began floating up and laughed: "Just watch tinman, you might just learn something."
Kazan was standing next to Ungar. "Ungar, do you think my dad can beat him?" Ungar said: "Maybe so, something is different about him, he's not overconfident somehow I know he has the ability to back that power up." X laughed, "So you want to follow your friend in defeat." Lupus spat on the ground, "Give me a break that imp is not my friend one of these days I'll break him." X responded: "It seemed as such from what we observed you don't care for any of these insects." Lupus laughed: "I have to try to give a damn about the fate of my wife and daughter let alone the rest of them." X shrugged: "What are you a follower of this Prophet then." Lupus began to laugh. "Aaha….heheh….hehehhehe…HeheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Give me a break, I bow to know one, I'm headed to take my rightful place on the divine throne. That's right I'm planning to overthrow this King Apollo I've heard so much about, I'll rule over everything as a god!"
X tilted his head, intrigued by Lupus's arrogance. "Overthrow King Apollo? You truly are amusing," he mused. "What makes you think you have the power to challenge a god?" Lupus smirked, his aura flaring up with a dark crimson glow. "Because unlike you, I don't just talk about power—I take it," he said. "And I've been preparing for this moment for years. While you were basking in your self-importance, I was breaking my body and mind to ascend beyond the limits of mortality." X narrowed his eyes. "Bold words. But words mean nothing without action." Lupus raised his hand, and the sky above them cracked with violent energy. The ground beneath him trembled as his power surged, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. His entire body radiated an overwhelming pressure, causing even Elrisa and Elsa to stagger backward. Ungar clenched his fists. "This is... different. His power—it's unnatural." Kazan's eyes widened. "Dad… what did you do to yourself?" Lupus shot his son a glance, his smirk widening. "What I had to do." Without warning, he vanished, reappearing inches from X's face. X barely had time to react before Lupus drove his fist into his gut with a force that shattered the air. A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending X hurtling through the sky. Lupus wasted no time, pursuing him with relentless speed. He appeared above X and brought his fists down, hammering him into the ground. The impact formed a massive crater, dust and debris rising like a storm. The battlefield fell silent. Then, from the rubble, X's voice rang out, amused but tinged with something unexpected—pain. "Interesting…"
Lupus landed gracefully at the edge of the crater, rolling his shoulders. "Come on, don't tell me you're done already," he taunted. A low chuckle echoed from the dust cloud as X slowly rose to his feet. His armor was dented, cracks forming along his metallic plating. He wiped a trace of blood from his lip and grinned. "I see now. You're not just boasting… you really have the potential to become something greater." His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Good. That means I don't have to hold back anymore." Suddenly, the air around X darkened, a swirling vortex of energy forming around him. His form began to shift, his body expanding, his presence becoming overwhelming. Lupus's smirk never faded. Instead, he rolled his neck and clenched his fists. "Finally. A real fight." The battle for the divine throne had truly begun.
The battlefield trembled under the weight of their power. X's form distorted the air itself, his body shifting as divine energy coursed through him. His once humanoid frame became something more—his armor expanded, the metal shifting like liquid as jagged, glowing veins of pure cosmic power pulsed beneath. His eyes gleamed like burning stars, and the very sky above seemed to darken in response. Lupus, unfazed, cracked his knuckles. His own power surged, crimson lightning arcing wildly around him. His muscles tensed, his aura growing into a swirling tempest of raw destruction. The moment stretched into eternity—two titanic forces standing on the precipice of battle, neither willing to yield. Then, they moved. The collision of their fists shattered reality itself. Space warped, and the very fabric of existence screamed under the sheer force of their blows. Shockwaves erupted across the battlefield, carving massive chasms into the earth and sending mountains crumbling into dust. The ocean, miles away, recoiled from the impact, waves rising like titanic walls before crashing down in chaos. X lashed out with a backhand, his arm moving at speeds incomprehensible to mortal eyes. Lupus barely had time to dodge before X's fist tore through the air where his head had been, the pressure alone carving a massive rift into the ground below. Without hesitation, Lupus retaliated, vanishing in a blur before reappearing behind X and driving a knee into his back. X grunted but spun midair, his elbow slamming into Lupus's ribs with enough force to send him spiraling through the sky.
But Lupus didn't stop. Before he even touched the ground, he adjusted, twisting his body and launching himself forward like a meteor. His fist crackled with crimson lightning as he aimed straight for X's skull. The impact sent out a deafening shockwave that vaporized the clouds above, leaving nothing but a void of flickering energy in its wake. X stumbled, for the first time actually feeling the weight of Lupus's might. Lupus grinned. "Not bad, huh?" X wiped a trail of golden ichor from his lip and smirked as a small piece of his mouth was exposed. "Impressive. But let's see how you handle this." X raised his hand, and the world trembled. Massive spears of black energy materialized in the sky, each one crackling with divine destruction. With a flick of his wrist, they rained down toward Lupus like judgment itself. Lupus didn't flinch. Instead, he let out a roar, his power bursting forth in a crimson explosion. He weaved between the spears with impossible speed, dodging, deflecting, and even shattering some with his bare fists. As the last spear crashed behind him, he lunged forward, his hand glowing with a power that threatened to erase everything it touched. Their fists met once more, and the very stars above flickered in response. Neither gained an inch. The battlefield was unrecognizable, a wasteland of destruction carved from their battle. The air itself seemed to crack under the sheer force of their power. But even as they fought, locked in an endless struggle, something unexpected happened. A voice cut through the chaos.
"Stop this!" Lupus turned his head, eyes narrowing. Sarai stood on the battlefield, his arms spread wide. His voice was strained, desperate. "Lupus, this isn't the way! We're fighting the wrong battle!" Sarai had flown up and confronted Lupus directly. Lupus's expression darkened. "Get out of my way, Sarai." Sarai shook his head. "I won't let you do this. You're out of control! You're going to destroy this planet and everything on it!" X chuckled, stepping back and folding his arms. "I don't mind pausing the fight for this," he mused. "Take your time." Lupus's fingers twitched, his power still crackling around him. Then, without warning, he moved. A single strike sent Sarai crashing into the ground, a crater forming beneath him. He coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, but before he could react, Lupus was on him. His fists rained down mercilessly, each blow shaking the battlefield. He tried to defend himself, but he was nothing compared to him—not now, not after what he had become. Elrisa and Ungar shouted and gasped. "Lupus, stop!" Kazan's eyes were wide with horror. "Dad…?" Ungar clenched his fists, taking a step forward, but a mere glance from Lupus made him freeze. There was no reasoning with him now.
Blow after blow, Lupus continued, his once-proud smirk twisted into something darker, something monstrous. Sarai's face was bruised and bloodied, yet she still looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Lupus… please…" For the briefest of moments, something flickered in Lupus's gaze. Hesitation. A shadow of his former self. Ungar with Talus in his arms, Zaiyal, Sir Rhyme and the others ran towards Lupus to stop him but Lupus created a wall of light and fire, "STAY BACK!!" He once again began to beat Sarai but then grew tired of it. But then, just as quickly, it was gone. He stepped back, breathing heavily. "You should've stayed out of this." X, watching with mild amusement, tilted his head. "Finished?" Lupus turned back to him, wiping blood from his knuckles. "Yeah." Sarai was alive and immediately Narcis began to heal him. Within a minute or so Sarai was completely healed, "There's no talking to him, he won't stop."
Lupus flew up to meet X. "Well I'm ready." Before the battle could resume, the very air crackled as another portal tore open behind X. From its swirling depths stepped a masked figure clad in dark robes—Zed. His voice was calm yet firm. "Enough, X. There's nothing more to gain here. No information on the Prophet, no reason to waste time. We have a more pressing matter at least for the moment to attend to in the Court." X exhaled, his amusement fading as he regarded Zed. After a brief pause, he gave a small nod. "Understood." Lupus's eyes burned with fury as X turned away. "You think you can just walk away from this?!" He surged forward, his energy flaring, but before he could get close, Zed extended a single hand. A pulse of violet energy erupted from his palm, striking Lupus mid-air. Instantly, his body locked in place, frozen by an immobilization spell. His crimson aura crackled violently, but he could not move. His teeth clenched in rage as he struggled, but it was useless. Zed's mask remained expressionless. "This fight is over. For now." X, Zed, and the other Archon members stepped into the portal. The swirling vortex closed behind them, vanishing in an instant. As the magic binding him faded, Lupus crashed to the ground, his fists slamming into the dirt. He let out a roar of frustration, his power raging like a storm around him. But they were gone. At the end he simply kicked some dirt and said: "Whatever, I just need to get stronger so that stupid trick won't work next time," said Lupus. The battlefield, once filled with the sounds of clashing titans, fell into an eerie silence.
Meanwhile, back in the Demon Realm, Hermes (the Prophet of the Goddess Qaida) arrived at the bus station and picked up Baala and Nelly. This was the first time she had met her new friend Nelly's little sister Baala and even though she was a goat demon, this cute little girl reminded Hermes of her own daughter Cicero. Hermes greeted the little girl, she had been gloomy lately but she tried to put on a smile. The rain was pouring from the sky in Echo-07. Echo-07 was a world of liquid light, a place where rain did not simply fall but danced, each droplet glimmering with an ethereal turquoise hue. The sky, a vast expanse of deep indigo, held no sun nor stars, only the ever-present cascade of shimmering water descending from unseen heights. Some demons whispered that the rain was a gift from the Celestials above, a sacred offering from angels who wept in secret, their tears transformed into crystal-clear sustenance for the land below. Others believed it was the will of the realm itself, a cycle older than time, maintaining the delicate balance between the demonic and the divine.
The drops fell weightlessly, catching the glow of the floating sigils that adorned Echo-07's towering structures. Each ripple in the streets' silvered puddles reflected the city's beauty—ornate spires sculpted from dark stone, their surfaces veined with veins of luminescent minerals that pulsed gently, as if breathing. Bridges of polished obsidian arched over narrow canals, where the rainwater flowed like liquid sapphire, feeding into the great ocean that surrounded this suspended world. Echo-07 was not a land in the traditional sense but a colossal drop of water, suspended in an endless void, floating above an abyss of darkness. The ocean that encircled it was no ordinary sea—it was the realm's lifeblood, a vast body of shimmering blue that purified itself in an unending cycle, sustaining every street, every demon, every fragment of life within. The city drank from it, breathed through it, and was shaped by its currents. Some said the ocean was alive, that it had thoughts, memories—whispers carried by the tides that only the oldest demons could understand.
Tonight, as Hermes stood beneath the rain's turquoise glow, watching the endless cascade around her, she felt the deep, sacred stillness of Echo-07. Even in sorrow, even in silence, the beauty of this place was undeniable. She turned as the bus arrived, its headlights reflecting off the glassy streets, and as Baala and Nelly stepped into the rain, their figures were momentarily haloed in the city's luminous glow. Baala's eyes lifted to the sky for just a moment, watching the radiant droplets fall, and for the first time in a while, her expression softened. Maybe, just maybe, the stories were true. Maybe, somewhere beyond this world, angels really were watching. Hermes was holding an umbrella and was shocked by the beauty before her, a turquoise aquarium with large turtles swimming about, of large aquatic creatures swimming in mid-air. Hermes remembered the Demon Realm was made entirely of a powerful essence called "Qadar" which was made entirely of water and fire and the water element of it could sustain aquatic celestial life. Hermes waved to her and said, "hello." The little girl hugged her, "Hello my name is Baala, my sister told me all about you." The girl was an anthropomorphic goat-demon girl just like her older sister (Hermes' friend).
Hermes knelt to meet Baala's eyes, offering a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Baala. Your sister speaks highly of you." Baala's ears twitched as she glanced at Nelly, who gave her an encouraging nod. Despite the gloom that clung to her, she found comfort in the Prophet's presence. "Thank you for coming to get us," Baala murmured, her small hands gripping the hem of her cloak. Hermes ruffled the girl's soft curls. "Of course. We should get inside before the rain soaks through." The trio made their way through the glowing streets of Echo-07, weaving between shimmering pools of rain and the occasional demon passerby, their forms casting elongated shadows beneath the floating sigils. The city hummed with energy, as though it, too, were alive and watching. Baala remained quiet, taking in the wonder of it all, while Nelly walked beside her protectively. They arrived at a towering structure carved from dark stone, its surface etched with ancient runes that pulsed gently with light. It was a sanctuary of sorts, a safe haven for those who followed the teachings of the Goddess Qaida. Hermes led them inside, where the walls glowed with soft blue light, casting the halls in a peaceful radiance. Baala clung to Nelly's sleeve as they stepped further in. "This place… it feels different," she whispered. Hermes nodded. "This is a place of peace, a space untouched by the chaos outside." She gestured toward a side corridor. "Come, we'll find a place to rest."
The corridor led to Nelly's apartment. They were about to enter it but Hermes heard a voice and she told Nelly and Baala that she would catch up. They approached Nelly's apartment, but just as they were about to enter, Hermes froze. A voice echoed in her mind. "Would you like to begin the test?" A translucent pop-up screen appeared before her, its text glowing in an unknown language before shifting into something readable. Nelly and Baala turned, but before they could ask, Nifty's high-pitched voice rang in Hermes' ear. "I don't know what this is, but click yes! HIT YES FOR YES!" Hermes hesitated, then pressed the glowing button. The world around her shattered. Wind howled as she was pulled through a vortex of light, her feet slamming onto uneven ground. The scent of damp earth and moss filled her nose. She stood in a dense, mystical forest, bioluminescent fungi casting an eerie blue glow. The air crackled with unseen magic. A guttural snarl broke the silence. From the shadows, goblins emerged—twisted creatures with jagged blades and glowing red eyes. They circled her, their sharp teeth bared. A countdown flashed in the corner of her vision.
Trial Start: Defeat the Enemies to Advance.
Hermes exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "Alright, let's play." The first goblin lunged. Hermes dodged, her reflexes faster than she expected. Instinct took over. With a swift movement, she summoned a blade of pure energy into her hand and slashed, cutting through the goblin's chest. It screeched before dissolving into light. More charged. Hermes moved with precision, her strikes growing sharper, faster. The battle felt like something out of a JRPG, her body responding to unseen mechanics. A hit grazed her arm, but she pushed forward, spinning and slicing through the horde. Each fallen enemy left behind glowing motes of energy that flowed into her. Finally, the last goblin fell, its body vanishing in a burst of light. A new pop-up appeared before her.
Trial Complete.
Level Up! +9 Levels
Rewards Unlocked: Strength +10 | Agility +12 | New Skill: Blade of Radiance
Hermes panted, gripping her sword as her body pulsed with newfound power. Nifty whistled. "Well, that was something. Now how do we get back?" Before Hermes could answer, the forest shimmered—and in an instant, she was standing once more in the hall outside Nelly's apartment. The pop-up faded, but the power coursing through her remained. This world had changed. And so had she. The world disappeared and she was outside of Nelly's apartment in Echo-07 yet again. Nifty said: "I can feel that you've grown stronger. How do you have access to something like that? What was that?" Hermes paused and then said: "I…don't know."
Meanwhile, back with Ungar and the others they had already left Earth-02, Dr. Shashine, looked down on Earth-02 as our heroes had him in handcuffs and he was taken back to Planet Helios and the Qatari Empire for imprisonment. Dr. Shashine was completely demoralized, "There's no hope, if something out there has the power to obliterate all life like that, there's no point in preserving it, we're all doomed…" Emperor Lupus laughed, "One day that will be me, and if you're nice maybe I'll spare your little roses." Talus who was healed by this point said, "Knock it off, the guy's been through enough." Lupus barked back: "And you how pathetic you couldn't even handle that masked fool, well it looks like I've surpassed you imp. Compared to you, I'm nothing short of a god." Zaiyal responded: "More importantly that guy "X" his energy was insanely familiar. It was demonic, sure, but there was something familiar about it and not necessarily in a bad way." Ungar stood up: "I was thinking the same thing, and it wasn't just him that Zed figure was familiar as well." The others introduced themselves. "My name is Daniel. I'm the Gatekeeper in our Universe, we live on a planet called Helios, I'm a Light Elf, I was born in the upper-highlands." Ungar crossed his arms: "Interesting you weren't born in another world and were reincarnation into the one you reside in." Daniel shook his head, "No I was always a Light Elf, I was confirmed to be a Gatekeeper by my lord Ebisu and your counterpart over there." Ungar explained his past it was identical to the one in their realm, Zaiyal was the same he had a wife (Aquarius) but no children, Daniel was married to Athena and he had 3 children, Narcis was a Buddhist monk but he was not the Martreya, he had actually realized himself that his alter-ego was the Martreya Buddha as a devout believer the alternate-Narcis was also a former villain he tried to conquer the world as a powerful light-elf but was shut down by a single punch by this alternate Daniel and reformed himself in a Buddhist monastery, becoming a Buddhist monk and joining the others, Sarai was an exchange student he was never a villain or miscreant like his counterpart and was never married, and the rock creature was someone they had met on their travels.
But what really set everyone off was that alternate version of Talus. Talus explained that like our Talus he was a little over 10,000 years and he had a lifespan of 20,000 years. He was born from nothing without any parents, but he only joined one raid by the demon clan over 10,000 years ago. At the end of it he told the demons, "I can't do this anymore, it's wrong, I will choose another path." After this Talus became an ascetic and traveled the world alone and eventually arrived on Helios after 10,000 years or so and joined the alternates after millennia of patient and peaceful martial arts, feeding the poor, helping the weak, etc. Talus ran into another room in the ship and Demi ran after him. Lupus laughed: "It's a relief there isn't a version of myself in your world but I guess I'm one in a million, make no mistake when I'm done conquering this world, and I conquer the realm of Apollo, your realm will be next. Hehehe." Phyron spoke up: "What do you mean you will conquer the world that's what I'll be doing." Lupus turned around and stepped forward, "Oh?" Lupus stepped a few steps closer: "And what makes you think you'd stand a chance against me. You saw what I was capable of against that X figure, you couldn't do anything, I would cleanse this world of you." Phryon smirked, "I'd rather die, than give this world to a monster like you. It's my world. I intend to rule it." Lupus sneered. "Your world? You think you have a claim to anything, Phyron? The difference between you and me is that I don't just talk about power—I prove it." Phyron clenched his fists, the energy around him flickering like a wildfire barely contained. "You're nothing but a savage brute. You want to conquer and destroy, but you have no vision. I, on the other hand, will rebuild this world in my image."
Lupus chuckled darkly. "And what, pray tell, is your grand design? A kingdom of cowards? You couldn't even handle X, and now you want to play ruler? Pathetic." Ungar stepped between them, arms crossed. "Enough of this nonsense. We have bigger concerns than your egos. Our worlds are facing threats beyond anything we've encountered before, and if we don't stand together, none of us will have a world left to rule." Lupus scoffed but said nothing, turning away, while Phyron exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. The tension in the room remained thick, but Ungar's words carried weight even the most arrogant among them couldn't ignore. Meanwhile, in the other chamber, Talus sat on a bench, his hands gripping the edges tightly. His breathing was heavy, and his thoughts raced. Demi approached cautiously, kneeling beside him. "Talus... what's wrong?" Talus hesitated before answering. "Meeting my alternate self—it shook me. His path was so different from mine. He chose peace, wisdom, a life of helping others... and me? I spent ten thousand years as a warrior, a demon, and even now, I still fight. I only had the sense to give it all up when Daniel spared his life to save me. If it weren't for that god only knows the path I'd continue to head down. I know more than anyone else that I deserve to burn in hell."
Demi placed a hand on his shoulder. "You made the choices that were right for you at the time. Just because his journey was different doesn't mean yours is wrong. You've saved countless lives, Talus. That matters." Talus sighed, leaning back. "Maybe... but now I wonder. If X's power is as familiar as Zaiyal and Ungar said, then we might be facing something connected to us in ways we don't yet understand. And if we're not careful, it could consume us all. If I'm right and I don't deserve mercy for my past actions, maybe… I can protect others from the destructive tendencies of others. Maybe that's my cross to bear." Demi nodded grimly. "Then we better find out exactly what we're dealing with. Before it's too late." Back in the main chamber, the group gathered again, tension still lingering but overshadowed by the looming unknowns ahead. Daniel crossed his arms. "If X and Zed feel familiar, we need to dig deeper into that connection. We need to find them again." Zaiyal nodded. "Agreed. But first, we should determine our next move. If our enemies are watching, we can't afford to be reckless. We need to give this criminal (Dr. Shashine) to the Qatari government and then head back to the Compound, perhaps Uvia knows something, she could send Erisa and Elsa to help us, they were prepared to help us fight this thing, they know of them, they were able to sense them, that's why they came in the first place after all. There is a path to confront these monsters." Lupus smirked. "Reckless? That's the only way I know how to fight." Phyron glared at him. "And that's why you'll never be a true king." As the tension threatened to rise again, Ungar stepped forward. "Enough. We're all in this together, whether we like it or not. If we want to survive, we fight as one. Now let's move." With that, the course of their journey became clear. The battles ahead would test not only their strength but their very identities. And in the shadows, X and Zed watched from afar, waiting for the right moment to strike. Ungar stated that he needed to talk to Mira. Qayyim responded: "We've lost all contact with her, she's MIA." Ungar shook his fist: "Then I guess it's time everyone needs to know about who she is and what she's done, those Archon members confirmed to the rest that Hermes lives so there's little need in hiding it." Qayyim looked with an eyebrow raised: "Hermes lives."