Chapter 10: He Who Remains

The storm of demon attacks still raged above Tokyo Dome, but now, the blaring sirens were no longer just an alarm. Giant screens across the city center, which only minutes ago had broadcast Tendou's inspiring speech, shattered into fragments of panicked news reports. From Paris to New York, from London to Beijing, every major city in the world screamed. Skies tore open with dimensional cracks, spewing out horrific creatures from the darkness. This was no longer a threat; it was an invasion.

Amidst the smoking ruins of Tokyo Dome, Commander Hikari moved swiftly. Her expression, which had previously been one of concern when Tendou revealed his identity, now hardened into a mix of anger and bewilderment. Fully armed Valkyrie troops surrounded Tendou, who stood without his Nexus helmet, the mysterious demon Belial, Emmy, and the recently freed Caine.

"Tendou Amamiya! You are under arrest for kidnapping and these illegal actions!" Hikari's voice boomed through the loudspeakers, full of authority. Aura Hoshimi and several elite Valkyrie team members had already advanced, their weapons pointed at him. Behind them, Caine stared at Tendou with still-simmering anger and confusion.

However, before Tendou could respond, an urgent voice cut through Hikari's Valkyrie comms. It was Otoya.

"Commander! The entire world is under attack! Massive waves of demons are appearing simultaneously on all continents! The main energy source is Tokyo Dome, but the attack is global!" Otoya's voice was panicked yet professional, spewing data relentlessly.

Hikari's eyes widened, quickly checking the reports flashing on her wrist monitor. Otoya's information verified the horrifying words. The panic on the Valkyrie radio was uncontrollable. Aura Hoshimi, also monitoring, looked shocked and slowly lowered her weapon.

Hikari's face paled, shifting from anger to a bitter realization. She looked at Tendou, the man who had just been labeled "persona non grata" by the world, but who now seemed to be their only hope. Without a word, she gestured for her troops to stand down. Weapons were lowered.

"Tendou," Hikari said, her voice now filled with the same urgency as Tendou's. "What's your plan?"

Tendou nodded, his eyes sharp as he gazed into the distance. "Otoya! Give me the best location to lure Paradox! Which point has the most stable dimensional portal?"

Nearby, Caine, who had only been listening with a clenched jaw, suddenly interrupted. He had heard about the global invasion, and the bitter truth of Tendou's earlier words now struck him. His anger subsided, replaced by a new resolve.

"I'm coming," Caine stated firmly, looking at Tendou and Belial alternately. "I can't just stand here while the world burns. I'll help you defeat that demon."

Belial gave a faint smirk, his gaze shifting to Angelica, his beautiful yet deadly right hand. "What do you think, Angelica? Any ideas for provoking Paradox?"

Angelica stepped forward, a sly smile gracing her lips. "I have some... very personal provocation ideas for Paradox. We can make him come straight into our trap."

Emmy stepped forward, her hand grasping Tendou's tightly. "I'm coming too! I can help—"

Tendou turned fully to face Emmy. His eyes were gentle, but his voice was firm. "No, Emmy. This fight... this is our fight, the three of us. This isn't your place."

He pulled Emmy closer, leaned down, and gave her a deep kiss full of promise and farewell. "I'll be back. I promise. Stay alive, and take care of Ayano for me."

Emmy gasped, tears starting to stream down her face, but she nodded, understanding the weight of Tendou's words. She knew this was not the time to argue. She had to trust him.

Journey to the Secluded Valley

With the coordinates from Otoya and Angelica's cunning plan, the trio—Tendou, Belial, and Caine—began to move. Behind them, the Valkyrie Force, under the leadership of Hikari and Aura, swiftly organized a defensive perimeter. Not only to protect the city but also to create a sanctuary—an undisturbed battlefield—for the fight that would determine the world's fate.

"Valkyrie!" Hikari's voice echoed over the radio, "Top priority: Secure Kirigamine Valley in the Japanese Alps! Do not let a single grunt demon interfere with the battle that's about to happen there! It's their party, and we'll make sure no one ruins it!"

In Kirigamine Valley, a beautiful highland expanse in the heart of the Japanese Alps, a terrifying demonic aura began to gather. Low-level demon troops already filled the area, forming menacing lines. In their midst, a blackened portal pulsed, spewing out thick, dark energy. From within that portal, a colossal demon with unmatched arrogance stepped out: Paradox, He Who Remains. His eyes radiated boredom and a certainty of victory.

In the air, Tendou, now in his glowing blue Exo Suit Mark III Nexus, floated gracefully. Beside him, Belial, with his majestic black wings and sharp demonic blade. And behind them, Caine, wearing lighter yet strong modified Valkyrie armor, with fists clenched.

"What's he doing?" Caine asked, his eyes narrowing as he watched Paradox simply stand still.

"He's just standing there waiting for us," Belial replied, a faint smirk appearing on his face. "He's certain of his victory. The same blind certainty my father used to have."

Tendou nodded, his energy pulsing around his suit. "Good. As long as we agree on that."

Belial stepped forward slightly, his aura flaring. "Let's kill him cleanly this time. No more mercy."

Interdimensional Battle: Paradox's Hell

Without hesitation, the trio lunged. Tendou in his Nexus Suit, Belial with his demonic power, and Caine with his brutal agility. They charged Paradox, who retaliated with a storm of dark energy, scoffing at their efforts. However, the trio worked seamlessly together. Tendou attacked with lightning speed, followed by Belial, who opened a gap with brutal sword strikes, and Caine launched a barrage of blows that, though they didn't wound Paradox, managed to disrupt his concentration.

Belial's provocation, suggested by Angelica, hit its mark. "Paradox! You always pride yourself on your power in this weak world, but you're just a grunt demon who fled his own destiny! You're a coward hiding behind the dimensions you've destroyed!"

Paradox roared in fury, his aura exploding. He attacked wildly, opening a vulnerability. That's when Tendou, Belial, and Caine saw their chance. With a combined, devastating assault – a Nexus Punch from Tendou, a punishing Demonic Blade slash from Belial, and a flurry of Hell Martial Arts techniques from Caine – they struck Paradox.

A massive explosion rocked the valley. Paradox's body was thrown back, but strangely, he didn't shatter. Instead, dimensional cracks formed around him, and a vortex larger than ever began to pull all three of them in.

"He's opening his gate!" Belial shouted. "He's trying to drag us into his dimension!"

Tendou, Belial, and Caine had no choice. Swiftly, they were sucked into the portal along with Paradox.

They were flung into a chaotic dimension. The sky was blood-red, the land scorched, and the ruins of gigantic cities stretched as far as the eye could see. The air felt heavy, filled with hisses and the scent of sulfur, and even their footsteps seemed to echo endlessly in the strange void. An aura of absolute destruction choked everything. This was Paradox's dimension—a hell he had either created or was condemned to.

"Welcome," Paradox's voice boomed, but now there was a hint of fear in his tone. "To my world... where I am king!"

However, at that very moment, Belial stared sharply at Paradox. "Liar! My father, King Asmodeus, once told me about this place. This is not your kingdom! This is a prison for weak demons who couldn't survive in their own realms! You are an exile!"

Belial's words ignited a new rage in Paradox, but also fear. He attacked more brutally, yet there was despair in every one of his strikes. The trio retaliated with all their might.

The second epic battle erupted. In this dimension, Paradox was indeed weaker than he had been on Earth, but he was still dangerous and desperate. Tendou utilized Nexus's speed and energy. Caine relied on his agility and adaptive abilities. Belial, with his deep knowledge of demon dimensions and Paradox's weaknesses within them, became the key. He broke through Paradox's defenses, searching for a vital point.

Finally, with a decisive slash culminating in a burst of demonic fire, Belial successfully stabbed Paradox directly in the heart. Paradox shrieked in agony, his body beginning to shatter into dark particles.

"No! I... He Who Remains... cannot..." he roared before his body disintegrated and vanished completely.

Time Distortion & Tendou's Sacrifice

However, the victory was short-lived.

As soon as Paradox died, time and timeline distortions occurred violently. The ruined dimension began to collapse faster, energy vortices devouring everything. Paradox's chaos energy, which had served as a linchpin in this dimension, was now uncontrolled. Cracks in the sky widened, and the ground trembled violently, as if all existence was about to vanish.

"The dimension is collapsing!" Belial shouted. "We have to go! Now!"

The three of them tried to flee towards a portal opening in the distance, a remnant of Paradox's power. But as they ran, from the vanishing remnants of Paradox, dark energy gathered again.

Paradox was alive again! This time, his form was even more horrifying, merely a vengeful shadow. He didn't possess full power, but his determination to drag Tendou with him was immense. With a single energy grasp, Paradox pulled and dragged Tendou with him, preventing Tendou from reaching the portal.

"Tendou!" Caine and Belial shouted in unison, their hands outstretched.

Tendou was thrown and pulled away. He looked at Caine and Belial, realizing he couldn't bring them with him. His eyes filled with resolve and love.

"Both of you, go!" Tendou yelled, resigned yet firm. "I'll defeat him myself! Even if I have to sacrifice myself! Tell Ayano, I love her very much!"

The dimensional portal to Paradox's world closed, leaving Belial and Caine on the Earth's side, staring into the void with a piercing sense of loss.

Grief & A Continuing Legacy

Back in Kirigamine Valley, on Earth, a somber atmosphere still lingered. In the distance, Emmy and Hikari, who had been waiting anxiously, saw the waves of demon attacks across the world finally cease. A huge wave of relief washed over them, accompanied by cheers from the remaining Valkyrie troops. The invasion was over. The world was saved.

But the joy was short-lived. From where the demon portal had vanished, Belial and Caine reappeared. They stumbled, exhausted, their faces showing no signs of triumphant joy. Instead, Caine and Belial's faces were filled with profound sadness, even more than mere exhaustion. It was the sorrow of an unspeakable loss. They knew Tendou would not be returning.

Emmy, seeing the expressions on Caine's and Belial's faces, felt her heart sink instantly. Her instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. Tears that had dried now streamed down her cheeks again.

Ayano and Aura had also arrived at the location, running full of hope to meet her brother and her beloved. However, when Ayano saw the mournful faces of Belial and Caine, her gaze shifted to Emmy, who was now sobbing, and then to Hikari, who looked at her with a pained expression. Ayano instantly knew. Her brother had kept his promise to sacrifice himself. She collapsed, tears flooding her face.

Emmy rushed to hug Ayano, burying her sister's face in her shoulder, sharing the same profound grief. Hikari, with her experience, also knew. She saw the expressions of Tendou's two allies and understood the unspoken message. Their hero had succeeded, but at the greatest cost. "Tendou..." Hikari whispered, tears flowing from her eyes, betraying her commander's composure. She knew Tendou had sacrificed himself, just as he had said he would.

Belial, who had previously stared at the sky with a complex expression, now stepped forward. His eyes showed deep sadness, but also a strong resolve, inspired by Tendou's sacrifice. He knew Tendou wasn't truly gone, but his departure had left an eternal mark on his heart.

Before Ayano, Emmy, Caine, and the remaining shocked Valkyrie troops, Belial extended his hand, and his now brightly glowing demonic sword plunged into the ground. His demonic aura expanded, no longer menacing, but an aura of calm, dignified power.

"I, Belial, son of Asmodeus, the First Demon King," his voice boomed, echoing throughout the valley, "claim the throne! I am the new Demon King!"

Some of the remaining grunt demons from Paradox's invasion trembled in fear, but Belial looked at them with a sharp gaze that made them submit.

"From this day forward," Belial continued, his voice softening but remaining powerful, "there will be no more destruction. There will be no more conquest. My father, Asmodeus, once dreamed of an orderly demon realm, one that had its own place in the world. Paradox betrayed that dream with his destruction. But Tendou Amamiya... he showed me the way."

Belial looked at Ayano and Emmy, then Caine, with a gaze full of respect. "He fought for bonds, for smiles. He showed me that true strength isn't just about destroying, but about protecting. Therefore..." Belial raised his hand high. "I, Demon King Belial, declare peace! Eternal peace between the demon realm and the human world! No more war! A new era has begun!"

This news spread quickly across the globe. Amidst reports of the devastation caused by Paradox, came the shocking news of a demon ascending to the throne and declaring peace. The world was stunned, skeptical, yet also filled with a glimmer of new hope. Slowly but surely, Earth began to heal its wounds, entering an era of peace never before imagined.

Tendou's Destiny: Beyond Death

Tendou was alone. He faced Paradox, who had resurrected, now merely a manifestation of vengeance, amidst a collapsing dimension. A battle to the death erupted once more, this time Tendou fighting not to win, but to survive and buy time until Paradox was truly destroyed.

With his Nexus power almost completely drained, Tendou managed to deliver one last devastating blow, destroying Paradox for a second time. Paradox's body exploded into black particles, this time vanishing completely.

However, the victory brought fatal consequences. The collapse of Paradox's dimension and the final burst of energy created a gigantic wormhole that began to pull Tendou in. It was similar to what he had experienced when he was Oscar. He was helpless, being drawn in.

This time, Tendou felt a deep sense of resignation. He had fought with everything he had, sacrificed everything, and this might be the end. He resigned himself to his death, his mind filled with the faces of Ayano and Emmy, their smiles, the promises left unfulfilled.

As the darkness of the wormhole swallowed him, at the moment he felt complete surrender and the boundary between life and death, an indescribable light appeared before him.

It was there that he finally met... The Creator.

Cosmic Agreement & Homebound

The light was not merely brightness; it was a presence. An entity without a distinct form, yet radiating infinite wisdom, profound peace, and power beyond all comprehension. Tendou, though tired and wounded, felt an extraordinary awe. The sense of resignation to his death vanished, replaced by burgeoning curiosity.

"Finally," a voice, unheard yet echoing in every fiber of Tendou's being, filled the empty space. It was a voice that felt like the universe itself, both a whisper and a roar. "The one I have awaited has come."

Tendou stared into the light, confusion clouding him. "Wh... who are you?" he whispered, his voice sounding alien in the void.

"I am the beginning and the end. I am the observer, the guardian of balance, and the one who has sown the seeds of life throughout the multiverse," the voice replied, clearer now, as if flowing directly into Tendou's mind. "I am The Creator."

Tendou processed the words. A Creator. That meant everything he had experienced, all realities, all heroes and demons... all of it was part of a grander design.

"I have watched you, Tendou Amamiya," The Creator continued. "Since your reality fell, since you rose from the ashes of destruction, to your tireless struggle to protect bonds and smiles in this world. You are an anomaly, a hope that transcends destiny."

Tendou remained silent, listening. He didn't know how to react.

"Paradox was merely one of many entities threatening this balance, one who relentlessly sowed destruction across various universes," The Creator explained. "You defeated him, Tendou, even when he rose again. That is proof of your true strength: not just physical might, but the strength of bonds and the human spirit you possess."

A projection appeared before Tendou – brief glimpses of countless universes, heroes fighting alone, worlds on the brink of collapse.

"This multiverse is vast, and threats will always emerge," The Creator's voice now softened slightly. "I need someone. Someone who has understood loss, who knows the price of a smile, who can sow hope in the hearts of the desperate. Someone like you, Tendou."

Tendou began to understand where this conversation was heading. "You... you want me to be... what?"

"I want you to be a guide," The Creator replied. "A guide for new generations of heroes across various universes. You will help them find their way, guiding them to protect their own realities from the lurking darkness."

Tendou's eyes widened. An eternal mission. A destiny beyond death. He would continue to fight, no longer in just one world, but across the entire multiverse. However, there was one thing he desired more than anything.

"If I do this," Tendou began, his voice trembling with a hope he barely dared to voice. "If I agree to guide them... can I... can I go home?"

The Creator was silent for a moment, and Tendou felt a pause that seemed like an eternity. Then, the voice returned, now with a warmer, understanding tone.

"Yes, Tendou Amamiya. As part of this agreement, you will always be able to return home and travel back and forth from other worlds. To see the fruit of your struggles, to feel again the happiness you have protected, and to find your personal resolution."

Tendou took a deep breath, feeling a wave of immense relief and hope wash over him. Home. The word felt so sweet. A grand mission, but with the promise he desired most.

Without hesitation, Tendou nodded. His face, which had been filled with resignation, now radiated a burning resolve, far greater than ever before.

"I agree," Tendou said, his voice firm and strong. "I will guide them. I will protect smiles in every universe. And I will always come home."

The Creator's light pulsed, as if accepting his answer. Tendou felt his drained energy replenish, but now with a different quality—deeper, more universal. He knew his journey had just begun.

Homebound: Smiles Returned

Years passed. The world had healed from its wounds. Valkyrie Force had become a global power for peace and defense. Demon King Belial held true to his promise, leading the demon realm into a new era. Otoya, Hikari, Aura, and Sorceress Number 3 kept Tendou's great secret, a hidden hope.

One bright afternoon, Ayano returned from a memorial. It was the annual remembrance for "The Lost Hero," an event where the world honored Tendou Amamiya's sacrifice. Her heart still ached, but there was a quiet peace within her.

As she opened the front door of her house, a familiar aroma enveloped her senses. The warm scent of home cooking, an aroma that only one person could create. Ayano froze. Shock mixed with a burning yearning. She pinched her arm repeatedly. It hurt. This wasn't a dream.

She rushed to the kitchen. There, with his back to her, a man she knew so well was stirring something in a pan. The man turned. His warm eyes, his characteristic smile.

"Welcome home, Ayano," Tendou Amamiya, her beloved brother, said, standing there as if he had never left.

Ayano gasped, tears instantly flooding her eyes. Without a word, she ran and hugged Tendou tightly, burying her face in his chest, sobbing with overwhelming happiness and relief. Tendou hugged her back just as tightly, feeling her back in his arms was a miracle.

A few hours later, as the sun began to set, Emmy arrived at Ayano's house. She intended to stay the night, as she often did now, to keep Ayano company and remember Tendou together. As she stepped into the backyard, she felt something strange. An aura she deeply missed, one she believed was gone forever.

Emmy, with her warrior's instinct, drew a pistol from her holster, moving slowly. She crept to the back, then stopped abruptly. There, under the twilight, Tendou was sitting on the patio, looking at the sky.

The pistol in Emmy's hand trembled, then dropped to the ground with a nearly inaudible clink. Tears instantly flooded her eyes, wetting her cheeks. The man she loved, whom she believed was gone, was there before her.

"Tendou..." she whispered, her voice breaking.

Tendou turned, a gentle smile gracing his lips. Emmy wasted no time. She ran, rushing into Tendou's embrace, holding him as tightly as she could, as if afraid he would disappear again. Tendou hugged her back, feeling the warmth he had missed from this reality.

A New Family: Eternal Smiles

The following years brought the happiness they had long fought for. Tendou did often "leave," fulfilling his promise to The Creator to guide heroes in various universes, but he was always able to return home. He would appear suddenly with the smell of home cooking, or sit in the backyard under the stars, always returning to his home and the people he loved.

Tendou and Emmy's family grew. They had exchanged sacred vows, but what truly mattered was the happiness they built together.

In the backyard, under the warm afternoon sun, the cheerful laughter of two young children echoed.

"Mom! Mom! Look, big sister Ayano is teasing me again!" cried a silver-haired little boy named Amamiya Takumi, running to complain to a smiling Emmy. Ayano, now "big sister Ayano" to Takumi, laughed, chasing her younger brother, her black hair flowing behind her.

Tendou stood beside Emmy, his arm around her waist, smiling broadly as he watched their two children play. This was the smile he had fought for, the bond he had protected. Their story was proof that even amidst the greatest destruction and sacrifice, bonds, love, and hope will always find their way home, leading to an ending that is not only happy, but eternal.

THE END