Born From the Ashes

The battlefield stilled, covered in smoke, blood, and broken hope. LuLu, finally reaching her ArchAngel form, radiated celestial fury--her wings immense, glowing with a dark yet divine flame. She streaked across the field like a comet toward Vim.

But it wasn't enough.

In a blink, Vim appeared behind her, his blade slipping through her back.

A cold whisper brushed her ear.

"Weakling."

LuLu's glowing wings flickered... and faded. She collapsed, her form dispersing into black feathers.

Toku stood there... the only one left.

Rikushi: impaled.
Valentine: broken.
LuLu: defeated.

He stared at the battlefield--at the beings that had crushed his friends.

He took a step back.

Then another.

His fingers loosened on his spear.

But--

A voice cut through the silence.

"TO-KU! TO-KU! TO-KU!"

From the crowd.

The NT Gang.

Ceri, Gem, Sori, Kandy, Glonk, Kite, and Blaidd stood, bruised but unbroken, screaming with every ounce of breath from the stands.

Toku's fingers tightened.

His legs still shook. His arms burned. He was bleeding from a dozen places.

But he tightly gripped his spear.

And he ran.

The World Leaders laughed.

"Let the rat try."

They hurled a boulder of pure rock magic.

BOOM.

The boulder shattered.

Smoke swallowed the field.

When it cleared, Toku emerged, cut up, limping, nearly broken--but alive.

Vim walked over, calm, unimpressed, and placed a hand on Toku's shoulder.

"You lost," he whispered, "the moment you were born."

Toku's knees buckled.

His head dropped.

And then... a wet stain darkened his pants.

The arena howled with laughter.

Vim threw his arms wide.

"He's pissing himself! The oh-so great Hero of NTG!"

But then--

Toku whispered.

"I've had enough."

In an instant--before anyone could process it--

Toku's spear was already inside Vim's chest.

Pierced through his heart.

Silence.

Even the announcers were speechless.

Vim's body dropped.

And before anyone could react, Toku vanished, reappearing behind Sana--

--and sliced her in half.

Abstra screamed.

"EVERYONE! KILL HIM!"

Bella, Novema, Vir, and Paulta charged.

But death greeted them instead.

Toku raised his hand.

Behind him: a massive Angel Halo.

Above his head: another.

His form gleamed with divine, no... Arcanic fury. His ArchAngel form.
A moment passed--

--and their bodies collapsed, cut and scorched.

No one saw him move.

He walked to Rikushi's corpse, his face blank, his soul shattered.

Black tears ran down his cheeks as he gently lifted his fallen leader.

He laid Rikushi down like he was made of porcelain.

Then--

SNAP.

And Lupi's neck twisted mid-air, falling lifelessly to the ground.

"JUST DIE!!"

His voice echoed like thunder.

And then--death fell.

Every remaining World Leader dropped.

Except Kali.

She had healed enough to stand.

She stared at the massacre.

She knew... they lost.

With her last ounce of will, she ran forward, launching one last attack at Toku.

Her fist connected--smashing into his face.

Toku slid back a few inches... slowly looked up.

Kali smiled.

Then realized...

Her arm was gone.

And so was her head.

The battlefield was still.

The blood of many stained the ground.

The announcer's voice cracked as he screamed:

"Toku... Rikushi... Valentine... and... LuLu too--ARE THE WINNERS!"

Toku collapsed after letting out a slight smile or relief.

Darkness took over him, creating an unbreakable curse, sending him to eternal slumber, or whenever he awoke.

Epilogue: The 22nd Rank

One week later...

Toku opened his eyes.

He was in a spacious wood and stone mansion, resting in a massive bed.

Around him:

Rikushi, alive and bandaged, snoring in a chair with Kite in his lap.

Valentine, arm in a sling on the ground, muttering about alcohol.

Kandy, Sori, Ceri, and Gem passed out in a little pillow fort they made.

Blaidd, sleeping at the foot of the bed, ears twitching gently.

And Glonk, just leaning up against the wall, unbothered.

They all woke up together after Glonk mutters about how he's awake.

The NTG is Victorious.

Laughter. Joy. Tears.

They had been collectively placed as the 22nd Rank among the World Leaders, under the name NTG.

They weren't gods yet, or even a demi-god--but the world saw them now.

Stronger than kings. Deadlier than daemons. Better than the best.

But this wasn't the end.

It was only the beginning.

As they have a new goal in mind, one that will reshape their destinies, a Quest that's equally dangerous as it is rewarding.

Next Quest: Dues-Dynasty

Their goal:

Ascend to Demi-Godhood

Master every magic

Awaken their final forms

Rewrite the rules of power itself

And together... challenge the people who have created Nova Terra from the ruins of kingdoms, the blood of people, and from the old era shall begin anew.

They would become legends, eternally written down in the history books.

Thank you for Reading!

The next Arc shall come out soon!