Chapter 21: Trials of the Devil

The trio walked forward, marveling at the sight before them. An even larger room stands before them, impressing both Diana and her beloved lord.

The room or better said, the area, was massive. The size of a city block. Why so large, Diana wondered as she walked forward taking in the strange sights. There was a large magic seal in the center of this space and along with it, four swords and that large holding container they saw on the monitor earlier. That person they had been speaking to, the Proctor unit, was sealed inside. It seemed that the door was merely the first barrier keeping people out of this place.

Divine Hammer walks ahead, the love of her life following cautiously. As the Builder gets closer to the container, there is some kind of liquid inside of it. In front of it, a panel of sorts, monitoring this being. The container, whatever it was, was made out of a large glass tube with that machine floating in the middle of it.

Asleep, waiting.

Further inspection showed that this holding device was failing and failing quite miserably. The sides were cracked.

Small amounts of green liquid are dripping out of the side.

And even the magic seal, supported by these strange weapons, was starting to crumble. Parts of the seal have faded and red energy is seeping out, trying to undo the rest of the golden blue seal.

It was now very, very clear.

This was no mere facility.

This was a prison. Perhaps even a past battleground. The large area lacked bodies and had minimal technology. It was clean, too pristine. Like someone had come in here and cleaned the place often. But why would they leave these weapons behind? Those weapons almost reminded her of the natural spirits that roamed the stars, which the Lord of Heavens has seen before, so only one conclusion came to mind.

A great battle had occurred before and in some manner, some way, the combatants had successfully driven this being into this cell. A holding cell that was on the verge of collapse.

“You. You want us to let you out, out of your prison cell? Don’t you, fake?! Who are you, really? And who were you talking to before we got here? I am not so foolish to believe that us being led here was an accident. You even said it yourself. The War Goddess was scheming. Crafting something far beyond our comprehension.” The elder android sighs.

It was unwise to unleash this person who was clearly imprisoned, how, she did not know. But it was clear that the cell would be broken in a couple days or weeks, at this rate.

Instead, the proper solution was to confront this being. Head on. Even if they had no guarantee of victory, it was better than waiting. The time to act was now. So, the builder did. The woman quickly walks up to the console, looking at the strange symbols. They are in Stollva, luckily. Using her fingers, she presses a few buttons that begin the process of unsealing that body, slowly draining the liquid from the capsule. Diana looks concerned, finally speaking up.

“Is this wise, my lord? We do not know what danger this person presents. Nor do you know her combat capabilities. I can’t really get a reading on her while I’m looking at her. It is like something is blocking my energy sensing ability..”

“On purpose. I think this being, this fake demon lord, is similar to us. And unfortunately, probably more experienced.” A voice laughs acknowledging those ill-spoken words.

“As expected! You never fail to disappoint, o great builder of the stars.”

“At this point, it feels like you know everything about us. Is that true?” The voice laughs though that mouth is not moving. Yet. That bastard is projecting their voice into their subconscious.

An unknown but intriguing technique.

“As I said before, yes. I can even see the potential, the great potential lying in you, your sister over there. That mighty evolution energy, slowly awakening inside of you. Oh my, you do not know anything, do you?” Frustrated, the Builder merely grinds her teeth as the capsule has finally removed all the liquid that was contained within the container. The capsule’s outer glass is lowering.

The finally released god falls down somewhat gracefully on the ground. That ancient body begins to stir. Finally, a small measure of freedom after being unable to move for countless years, she thought.

Sadly, this room still had the seal active.

Even unlocking the chamber did not stop the magic seal from keeping her trapped in the room. Though, it was not a problem. By the time the sleeping star warriors would wake up, the fake would be back to near full strength.

That foreign being brushes herself off and cackles.

“You made the right choice, star warrior. As a proof of my thanks, I will keep my end of the bargain. Firstly,” The red-haired chaos god says, as the woman makes eye contact at the distrustful party.

“You were correct. I was sealed here over fifty thousand years ago, sealed after a great conflict. Those mighty star warriors, many fought me to the death here. The strongest, the most gifted of them sacrificed their bodies and sealed me away here. For ages. Only another star warrior could open those locks on the door, so, you have my gratitude.” The replica smirks, enjoying the discomfort she was causing to Diana.

And why wouldn’t she? This damned chaos warrior was truly a chaotic being.

Ah, the delightful screams of terror as those men, women, some even teenagers, were slaughtered mercilessly and without abandon. All in their silly little attempt to seal her.

Not like it even mattered, that last batch did far worse things than just dying in droves.

No, those bastards. In all of their hubris.

They created the Void Machine. A machine god, similar in strength to the other machine gods created by the true demon lord, but this one was a spawn of their nemesis, the Ouroboros. The Void machine was the mortal's answer to fending off the increasingly high amount of corrupted beasts, beasts infected by the snake god’s almighty will. And ironically, it was their last.

The damned machine nearly consumed them all. Luckily, that one man saved them.

That man, a living legend.

He slaughtered his comrades that existed in all five of the lower starverses. The noble warrior, who once ruled over the stars with his sisters, who were star warriors, was forced to kill the people he held the most dear. After doing so, the poor soul sealed that infernal machine god underneath the origin point of the lower realms..

Sacrificing that powerful body to create a powerful seal. One that will also break soon.

Ah yes, the woman ponders further.

The origin of the lower stars.

No matter, it was time to continue answering some of their questions. Frankly, they deserve to know more but they will only receive what they need. What a shame.

They can't even comprehend the darkness they will endure in the future. The Chaos Lord is aware; the failed replica contains memories and knowledge of the true demon lord, as well as having spoken to that knight herself numerous times.

It was all for the plan, that great scheme of hers. This was their last chance.

The fake demon lord doesn't show it on her face but the woman is actually worried. Worried if all the pieces will fall into place. More worried about her warrior sister, the Chaos Knight, actually figuring out what true role fate has given the lying star warrior. The secret keeper continues talking again.

“As you have also surmised, I have been visited quite a few times. By people, some of whom you might know? Hmmm?” A bigger smirk appears on that completely dreadful face.

“Some? Who? That damned Goddess of the Underrealm. So, that is how it has been, we have been fooled from the start! And someone else? But who? God damn it, this is getting more confusing by the second.” A yell can be heard, voicing the collective frustration of both herself and Diana.

How long has this been going on? So many questions and not enough answers. The Builder continues staring vehemently at this “fake demon lord”, intent on finding out the truth.

“Hahaha! Such delicious tension on your face. I will leave it to you, brilliant woman, to find the answer yourself. More importantly, I need to educate you.”

“Educate? As if you are a teacher, you menace.”

“Oh I will be. Whether you like it or not. Besides, I have a feeling you will. Every star warrior enjoys the thrill of battle!” As the replica was prattling, the woman was merely buying a little time. Now, the woman has reached about 90% of her full combat ability.

As a pseudo fifth evolution grade unit, it was unnecessary, really. But just in case. Divi at the moment was only second grade but graced with potential she had never seen. Star breaker was similar, though, it was clear that one was delaying her evolution. As if that would even be of help.

The other one, the one the Chaos Knight called Diana, was more of a mystery.

Her potential was not low either but more so, sealed away. Sealed by some unseen, powerful force. The fake demon lord can only see a small sliver of it. But this servant.

Was far more dangerous than those two even realized. It was impossible to tell how powerful Diana could become if she ever evolved. Keyword, “if”.

That servant will have perhaps the hardest time doing so.

That naive woman doesn't even understand the power of her own creation. Fitting, as that warrior is still lacking, not only in technique or strength, but self. That mind of hers, at this moment, was too easy to rattle. Despite being pragmatic and brilliant, the builder was clearly not embracing her true self.

And that would be the reason, well, one of the reasons, the younger goddess will be defeated today.

“Come on! Show me your strength, warrior? Or shall I show you mine, first?” Unsure, the Divine Hammer laughs then shrugs.

“You know. That is the only sensible thing you have said to me today. But why? Why are you so intent on teaching us? Based on what you said, it seems like you are far more experienced than all three of us here. What purpose do you get out of this?” A genuine smile emerges on the replica unit's face, happy to hear this question.

“Ah. I forgot. I am also called the Proctor unit. As such, my duty is to test star warriors, such as yourselves and see if you can defeat me. I am not the true danger, no I am merely the first. Or did you forget about those damned cultists scouring about your realm, hiding in plain sight!”

“The cultists. Damn. So this means. They are connected to something bigger. I had a hunch but to be proved right, is unsettling. What or who are they following?”

“That, dear Divine Hammer, is for you to find out. Enough talk, show me your technique. I know you have one. Or more like, I can sense it. Show it to me.”

The time for talk has ended, for now.

The Builder assumes a stance, gathering divine energy into her right hand. It forms into a sphere, energy begins crackling around all of them. Without hesitating, the star warrior runs quickly and thrusts the Divine Strike at the Chaos Lord’s chest.

Only to be met with a glimmering red energy barrier. The barrier easily reflects the strike backwards, flinging the woman straight into the ground, the energy from her technique leaving a trail of wreckage as she tumbles and spins, falling onto her back painfully.

“What the hell wa-”

“That was a warm up! A decent technique, though it could use some improvement. It takes you too long to gather energy for that strike. It needs more refinement. But more importantly. You don’t even know what just happened, did you? I reflected your technique, fool! You don’t even understand how to fight properly.”

An angry growl can be heard but Divi remains silent.

The goddess can only acknowledge this as the truth. What else could it be? Clearly, if she wanted to kill them, that chaotic warrior would have done so already.

But no. The chaos machine is strangely patient, calm, collected, despite their offending words.

Something deeper was going in that mind of hers.

“If you are wondering so deeply about my mind, I will enlighten you. I enjoy battles with competent, knowledgeable opponents. You are merely a novice, though, I will not fault you for this. It was truly by that woman’s design you lacked proper instruction, how annoying.” A slight frown emerges on the chaos god’s face, sighing at the thought.

“What woman and how did you read my mind?”

“Child’s play. You again, don’t understand the technology you copied or even your own capabilities. That barrier is not merely a barrier. It is the automatic morphic barrier. Using your mind, it can protect against all sorts of attacks, mental, physical, spiritual. Splitting the nature of the barrier will make it less effective; if you wanted to defend against, let us say, fire and water magic, it would be half as effective rather than if you were focusing on one element. Besides, you didn’t even prepare any magic to prevent ‘hacking’. So I merely used magic to ‘hack’ into your thoughts and easily predict your actions. As I said, and I will say once again, lacking. Not lacking in potential however.” The chaos lord was frowning but a small smirk once again appeared on that face once again.

“You might be able to just figure out how to fight. I have this feeling.” The prattling continues.

“The morphic barrier is created using mental imagery from the mind, it is powered using spiritual energy and sustained by the physical strength of one’s own body.” The false demon continues teaching the three of them through action, projecting a small, thin layer, thin as ice in front of her chest.

It turns into a solid wall resembling steel, then morphs into spikes. The spikes shoot past the builder, purposely only grazing that long golden blonde hair.

“As you can see, it is both a defense and offensive tool. You would have to practice in order to be able to use the morphing shield more efficiently. As well, form, well, more layers.” Diana is interested, though she looks quite concerned. The servant manages to speak, despite her fear..

“Layers? You mean, like reinforcing the defense or offensive capability with another layer of intent? How complicated hmm hmm.”

“Quick and clever, just like your creator. I wonder why?” The last statement confused all three of them but the babbling carries on, the being instructing these young warriors intensely.

“Don’t worry about that too much. It takes millennia to form multiple layers. Personally, I can only do about two and a half? You have other things to worry about, don’t you, creation goddess!” The ancient fake demon lord quickly teleports, standing in front of the Builder.

The Builder attempts to teleport behind the imposing figure but the morphic barrier extends reflexively, smashing into her chest before she can act, making the android fall down in further pain.

Another divine strike forms in her hand. In fact, both hands, actually.

One is thrown at the demon, easily deflected once again. The other however, is thrown at the ground, causing an explosion. Dust surrounds them, blocking their vision. In the midst of this dust, the mighty star god summons the hammer, the one she uses to build worlds and ships, and swings it mightily at her foe.

Sadly this does little but make the amused red-haired lady chuckle. The battle hardened woman easily grabs the hammer mid-swing and does not even project her defense skill. Instead, with sheer brute strength, the outstretched hand crushes the ill-suited weapon into dust, making the blonde creation machine nervous.

What immense strength. And the being is barely even breaking a sweat.

What kind of battles has this woman gone through to achieve such strength? Frustration rises as the inexperienced warrior struggles, hastily forming a mental defense with her magic. It seems to just barely be working.

“Good attempt though flawed. Naturally, even you can't master techniques in a couple minutes. That hammer of yours. It does not suit your battle style at all. I think for you, a mixture of techniques and different weapons would be more effective.” One of those beady eyes bores into Star Breaker, who has remained motionless.

Waiting for her opportunity to strike.

“That one seems to be more able, though, not enough to scare me. Come on ‘friend’, do not give up so quickly!” Intrigued, she chuckles, merely standing still.

It was not even worth the effort to fight properly with this lot. Not yet, anyway.

As thoughts consume that chaotic mind, danger approaches.

The alert battle android quickly dodges, forcing her body to the ground in an instant.

It seems that Diana had completely taken advantage of this opportunity. Somehow, the woman had pulled out the sword, one of those damned star warriors that sealed her, though still asleep. Diana threw that blade with all of her might and had nearly caused a critical hit.

Even when playing around, these little creatures still had some fight in them. This only further cemented her feelings about the servant.

Quite unassuming at first place, Diana was perhaps the most dangerous of them all. And these other two could not even realize this.

What blissful ignorance.

Divi stays on high alert but sees this interaction.

These weapons. The only thing that could hurt her, easily, at the moment. Their own skill and tactics lacked. All they could do was hope this powerful being kept holding back.

The moment that the play stopped was the moment they all died.

A bit of fear overtakes the warrior but it does not stop her from standing up again, to the delight of the Chaos demon.

“That’s the spirit. Keep at it, maybe you will hit me next time, hmm, hmm?”

“I don’t care but you need to be eliminated. You are too damn dangerous! What will you do when you stop holding back, you bastard!” Another cackle can be heard.

A dangerous being but also a pragmatic one. Something was truly moving her, not merely the delight the bastard had, as she rose up and began fighting with those steel, mighty fists. The random swings of her fists seemed fruitless.

Not one was hitting the mark, a strong right punch was easily ducked.

Another dodged, as quickly as the first.

No, what this lord of the heavens was doing was buying time. Distracting this being that was too strong for them to fight against. Out of the corner of her eye, the Creation Goddess winks at Diana.

A signal only saved for desperate times. Diana pretends to have seen nothing and slowly skulks about, motioning quietly for Star Breaker to follow her. The apt mind of the focused sister picks up on their ploy quickly.

The busty servant will grab another spear and Star Breaker will teleport both of them right at the opportune moment. Whispering, the determined maid speaks.

“We will only get one chance. Get us close.”

“I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“None of us are safe against that woman, you dolt. And you know, so shut up, and do as I say. Please.” No more words are uttered out of that fine mouth of hers.

The Architect of worlds continues that onslaught. Steel fists that are becoming slightly more and more accurate as time is progressing. The damn little star warrior is adapting quickly.

Proof of her potential, a natural in combat, she is. The Divine Hammer jumps back ward, charging up another divine strike.

“Again? You haven’t learned from the last time I deflected it?”

“Prepare yourself! Now!” Confused for a moment, a glance to the side reveals all.

Those bastards.

They figured it out already. The first time was luck, now they knew. Those weapons can hurt her.

Star Breaker holds onto Diana tightly and the two teleport right on top of the fake demon lord’s back side. At the same time, the builder teleports point blank and aims straight at the pale face in front of her. A two pronged attack. That spear passes through the replica's morphic barrier, digging itself deep into the right shoulder of the chaos warrior.

Painful.

Finally, some tactics. Though still. This wasn’t enough.

Not even close to enough to stop this replica! Right as the divine strike enters the view of her eye, two techniques are initiated at once, countering their spontaneously planned attack.

A powerful sphere of chaos forms in moments, at least four times faster than the builder formed her strike. Surprising the Builder.

It collides with the divine strike and begins quickly overpowering the weaker star god, forcing the Builder to her knees.

“Are you serious?”

“You think that would be enough? You thought wrong! I am not weak! Do not underestimate your enemies, young ones. All of them will be far, far more mighty than I could ever be. Though I will still commend you on this unplanned combination attack. It shows the depths of your potential!” Chaos magic forms behind the powerful being a split second later, a large eye of chaos forming. A powerful energy beam begins charging, aimed directly at Diana, who is in front of Star breaker.

“Chaos strike!” The massive collision ends, the chaos energy easily smashing through the divine strike, the powerful attack colliding heavily into the Divine Hammer’s chest. At the last moment, the warrior concentrates, just barely reducing the impact of the strike by forming a dense heavy morphic shield concentrated on her chest. This stops the attack from penetrating her body but the impact still sends her flying. Far away.

Crashing into a nearby wall, somewhat damaged. Luckily, by pure instinct, the woman did not get killed. Not that it helped her mood. All that could be felt was a deep feeling of humiliation.

All of these years of fighting, getting trained by mountain elders, amounted to little in the face of a true, blue, experienced fighter. Perhaps Star Breaker was onto something. Gathering herself, the blonde-haired machine god looks back at the scene. Meanwhile, that large energy has reached full mass in that eye, with Star breaker and the loyal servant still hanging on in the air with that spear.

“Catch!” The instant the beam fires, a body is hurled at her with great force.

Her sister in one moment threw Diana into her arms, while also taking the full brunt of that magic blast. Luckily, it seems like the estranged god had fully blocked the beam blast with that own silver barrier. Barely damaged by the attack.

“Impressive, impressive. I wonder what else you three can show me? Come on now, I know you are not finished yet. Show more to your intrigued proctor!” The voice rises in delight, that laugh echoing throughout the chamber.

The laughter was abruptly interrupted. Finally, those weapons.

Which were full of energy, last time Diana checked, sprung back to life.

Slow to awaken but quick to act. Two weapons whiz by the builder of worlds and crash into the fake demon lord, making that beast frown.

“Aaaaah, ruining my fun! As always.”

“What did you expect, oh great Faker? To run amok and think we would not be awoken by your antics? Think again.” A large axe floats in the air, slashing downwards. Easily cleaving through that thick armor of the chaos warrior. Meanwhile, that sword from before has floated in front, thrusting vigorously as the proctor unit now actively avoids that weapon. Still dangerous, even after all of this time.

Proof of their skill. And proof they forcibly sealed away their potential. By choice.

The other, the fourth weapon, is a lance. It floats next to the builder and besides it, a ghostly form can be seen holding it. The spirit of a mighty female warrior.

“You. You are the one that freed her, weren’t you?”

“Seemed like the only practical choice. Whatever you sealed her in was falling apart, from my novice eyes. I don’t fully understand the magic that was being used but I can tell it was powerful.” A sigh can be heard but not of disappointment, more of acceptance.

This was the way it had to be.

Nothing could be done. These warriors had to be the ones to do what they could not. Some kind of alert signal brews up, the facility now fully awake as their protectors are,

“What is that?”

“That is the self-destruct sequence. In the event the fake demon lord awakens, the holding prison will force a dimensional lockdown and self-destruct, annihilating everything in it in a contained nuclear blast. Though, frankly, I don’t think that will stop the replica.”

“But then. Why even bother having it in the first place?”

“As a warning and preparation. There is never truly a guarantee of survival when dealing with this android god.” A loud mechanical voice hums and begins speaking loudly.

Six hundred seconds till self detonation, the voice says monotonously.

“I see.” Diana stirs, slightly bruised from the throw. Happy to be alive though.

“My lord, what will we do? We have to escape this building. But how?” The spirit of the lance responds back quickly.

“There is another way out. The way you entered has already been sealed by the system. You and the other star warrior.” Staring at Star Breaker casually attacking the fake demon lord in tandem with the other warriors, to some mild effect.

“You need to get out of her, right now.” The presence of Star Breaker appears behind them, before they can react.

“No. I will stay behind.”

“But, but why?! You can’t beat her, my sister! Do not do this, you can’t! No! It cannot be.”

Despite the protests. Despite that plea.

The same profound look remains on that beautiful pale skinned face.

Not of that fake look the girl always has shown the Divine Hammer. No, this was her true self.

Someone who wanted to fight for the sake of others. The profound stoic look hiding the sadness behind it. That burden she carried.

How could a sister refuse?

“I won’t argue with you any longer. Look. I am sorry about everything. But we don’t have time for this! You and Diana, go with the spirit weapons! Go, now!”

Five hundred seconds remain. Time was running out. The warriors, startled by this omission, temporarily stop their attack. Enough for the proctor unit to teleport further away, slowly healing her injuries.

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure. I know I cannot win. But I will try anyway. We all live for some reason, some purpose, after all.” That was enough for them.

For these warriors that sacrificed themselves. That slept for tens of thousands of years. This star warrior showed the same kind of resolve that they had. They knew it from the look in her eyes. This woman had the will. The will and determination to fight to the bitter end, even in the midst of absolute despair.

Soon, this one would be ready for the incoming wave of war. For now, they merely followed her wish.

“Hopefully. We will meet again. What is your name, noble warrior?”

“I am Star Breaker. Now go! And my sister, don’t you dare talk back, right now. I will meet you again.”

Despite her protests, the spirits dragged Diana and Divi, carrying the damaged star warriors away quickly.

Quickly opening up the back entrance at the other side of the large space, then quickly sealing both of them in together.

Alone.

Laughter can be heard. Noble, but foolish.

“Bravo, bravo. Now, now, Star Breaker. Show me. Show me your evolution! Stop hiding it, I know! I’ve known since I first laid eyes on you! How much you have been hiding, that burden. How delightful, isn’t it?”

“Not like I needed you to tell me!” Star breaker gathers her evolution energy.

A silver flame surrounds the woman. Flame made of her own divine power.

Evolution. All beings in the stars could evolve into a new form. How so, well, depends on the person, the fake demon lord thinks. The woman muses as she watches the younger android goddess quickly evolve, with slight fascination.

This was not the first evolution she saw nor was it a powerful one. The silver flame consumes her entire body, making it invisible for a moment.

In the next, the Star Breaker has become the mighty Star Breaker.

No longer does she hide herself. Now, she merely displays what she always was. A great protector that always roamed in the shadows. No longer did she need to pretend to be foolish or pretend she did not care.

No!

Now, it was time to fight.

The enhanced Star Breaker dashes forward with all of her strength, lunging out at the enemy that stands in front of them with all of her might.

With simple ease, the fake Demon Lord grabs her arm and tosses her away, causing the newly awakened being to slide on the ground.

“Well. Again! Keep lunging at me, fool.” Star Breaker does not talk, the woman merely moves at inhuman speeds.

The new silverish armor shines on that sleek body as she teleports behind the fake demon lord, only to easily be avoided once again. Yet another palm strike emerges, only to be dodged.

A barrage of strikes, each one easily being dodged, now faster, then the last.

Three hundred seconds remaining, the loud boom of the facility screams as the place seemingly is starting to fall apart. The walls are starting to crumble and the foundations are cracking, making debris fall all over the place. Strangely, those wall-mounted weapons of theirs did not activate.

This does not bother the replica. Less to worry about.

The explosion isn’t enough to damage the ancient battle god for long. Nor are these pathetic excuses for attacks.

“You thought evolving would help you? You think you can just ‘power up’ and solve your problems? Get real!” A slap hits the mighty star warrior in the face, actually causing far more damage than expected. It throws her off balance for a moment.

“Real strength. It is not merely gained from training or evolution. Real strength comes from deep within. Doesn’t it? The strength to never give up. The strength to improve. And the absolute strength that comes from bonds. Tell me, Star breaker of the Stars, what motivates you?”

“What makes you stronger!” These words seep deeper into the mind than the mere slap.

Words that question her motives, her deep desires.

“I. I. I fight for the things I believe in.”

“You sound unsure? Is it merely prophecy, the vision, perhaps?”

“How do you-”

“Don’t underestimate your enemy! Again. How wouldn’t I know? I am the one who is testing you and the others. Testing your ability, testing your minds and testing your unity. So, answer me. What do you fight for!”

Two hundred and forty seconds remain. The true essence of the silver-haired warrior is being tested, no, is being judged.. The woman grapples her fist together and gathers herself.

“I fight for the future! I fight for my sister, that stupid servant of hers, those others divine warriors. From the darkness I will become the light that protects them from the shadows. I will not be questioned, I will only show you my resolve, you damned demon!” Star breaker screams decisively.

No matter what happens

No matter who stands before.

No matter the enemy, whether from within or outwards, the warrior will stand and fight to the bitter end. Even now in this battle, one where victory seemed impossible.

Fighting for the things she believed in was all that mattered to her regardless of the outcome.

Two hundred and twenty seconds remain until the detonation sequence activates. Star Breaker moves with more passion, attacking even more furor despite knowing this was futile. She teleports in front of the mighty foe, performing a sequence of unending powerful punches. One that missed shattered the console into dust. The chaos warrior simply reveled in that unyielding determination, effortlessly avoiding every single attack.

The two speed up even further, beyond the ability for a human to keep track of their movement.

A collision in the air. Then another.

Then yet another as the two collide fist with fist.

Naturally, the newly evolved star warrior did not fare well. The woman was taking more damage than she could output. Another collision causing a massive shockwave. The energy sends the mighty Star Breaker crashing into a wall, hurting her severely. She quickly stands up and teleports right in front of the fake demon lord once again.

This time, the replica merely stands still. There was no need to move, really. Every attack could easily be blocked or deflected. Though stronger, Star Breaker was using very little technique with her strikes, making it easy to defend against her attacks. As well as the fact the red-haired woman was simply more powerful than her. The chaos warrior was beyond fourth grade evolution and close to fifth tier, while the mighty Star was only around third tier. Despite the difference in evolution, it was not like the star warrior could not actually do damage, it was just unlikely to happen.

Two hundred seconds till the explosion, the system roared in their ears.

As if that would stop this battle, no, this only made the two of them fight more engrossed in their aggressive conflict. The noble silver-haired goddess unleashes a barrage of punches all over her foe’s body. Each single punch was blocked by a shimmer red energy field; it was almost like punching into pure titanium. No matter the pain felt in those powerful, slender fingers, the android continued punching, ignoring the pain.

That morphic field. So simple in design yet so terrifying to fight against.

Honestly, though entertaining, this was somewhat lackluster, the chaos machine thought mildly, watching the poor woman fight futility. This was not their specialty.

This foolhardy star being was more apt at fighting from the shadows and behind someone’s back, like an assassin. Yet the woman desperately was buying time for them to escape.

Admirable.

Respectful.

But not enough. No, this was not enough. Not even close. Many star warriors possessed the same qualities she did, but all of them had perished. From corruption, from death, from a lack of teamwork.

No, this was not nearly enough to pass. But no matter, this was not the final test, more an assessment.

It was about 50/50. Just one more push.

One hundred and eighty seconds remain. Now, finally, the fake goes on the offensive. Without warning, the ancient chaos god grabs the right fist of Star Breaker, with her left hand, that was propelling into their barrier and catches it, crushing it painfully.

“You. you! You knew that this isn’t your speciality but you continue facing me, anyway. Should I call you brave or stupid? I will reward your ‘bravery’. Hahahaha!” Crushing that fist further with her overwhelming strength, the fingers dig into her skin and break through, causing blood to splatter everywhere. The demon of legend forms their right hand into a fist and quickly gathers chaos energy. Preparing for a powerful technique.

Moments later that right fist plunges deep into the chest of the sister of the divine hammer.

“Chaos burst!”

Moving at supersonic speeds, the red energy smashes into Star Breaker before the woman can defend, easily crushing part of that blue armor on her upper chest and this causes quite a bit of internal damage. Blood spits out of the woman's mouth and the force of the impact is so strong it passes through her entire body. The wave of chaotic energy is so powerful it travels to the edge of the large room and vaporizes part of the wall.

There was nothing the warrior could do. That grip on her did not allow her to escape. This was merely the first part of the attack, it seemed. No words were spoken, only blood coughed up in large droves, splattering heavily onto the ground. That right fist cocks back again now into an uppercut.

It connects with the tip of the mighty Star’s head, sending her vertically upwards quickly. By pure instinct, the machine goddess attempts to form some kind of barrier, a blue one, but it will not help.

Large red and black chaotic eyes surround her, each looking a little different from each other, somehow.

“Behold one of my magic techniques, Chaos barrage. It shoots piercing, bludgeoning and thermal energy beams constantly at a target until they are completely annihilated. Can you survive this, Star breaker?” Dozens of energy orbs quickly charge up then blast in succession.

Scalding hot energy slams into their body.

A concussive force that was nearly as strong as that early technique continuously slams into every inch, every pore of her body, causing further internal damage. And finally, piercing rays slice right through her arms, her legs, her hands, her torso, everywhere except the chest and face, really. It seems the barrier was mostly focused on those two areas to increase the chance of survival.

This barrage of different energy beams continues for another twenty seconds.

One hundred and fifty seconds remain. After experiencing pain a normal human would have died too many times over, the beam barrage finally stops. The mighty star breaker is barely awake at this moment but can see a red blur leaping into the air, as she is slowly falling.

The next attack. This being was determined to test her, it seemed.

She leaps into the air, spinning in circles. At the apex of that jump, a right leg raises high, then that right foot of hers quickly collides with the star warrior’s face. An earth shattering sound can be heard as that leg broke the sound barrier.

It sends the chosen being crashing into the ground, spinning and spinning.

The spinning does not stop, and it ends only when Star Breaker crashes into a far off wall, almost destroying it completely. Damage was critical.

Healing at this moment was not possible.

The fake Demon Lord did not give her time to regenerate. The god falls face first onto the ground just faintly awake, somehow.

But not dead. Not yet, anyway.

The replica lands gracefully, briskly walking near the battered, bruised android goddess she had just sent catapulting into the ground.

Good, this wasn’t enough to kill the brave being. If it was, how could they fight the greater enemies that lie ahead? How could this one or Diana or the Divine Hammer dream of fighting the Ourobourous if they did not have the resolve and will to overcome a weaker opponent? This was a good sign. All this one needed was just a little more “encouragement”. The fake Demon Lord internally is a little happy. The Magician, the War Goddess, the true Demon Lord had faith in these final creations of theirs.

They just needed more time to refine themselves. Time she and the machine of chaos will give them.

One hundred and twenty seconds remained, the system roared. Time was running out. Hopefully those others got near the exit, there was nothing the fake demon lord could do to help them more, at the moment. They have to escape by themselves. The pale-skinned android begins speaking again, wanting to test that boundless courage of this warrior.

“I know you are not dead. Get up. This battle isn’t over yet! Or will you concede in the face of defeat? Will you give up on yourself and your friends? Is this that all you amount to, mighty star warrior of the stars? I don’t think it is!” The woman yells with determination, challenging her to answer.

The form before her slowly but surely forces that body full of holes, full of pain and agony to a standing position. Now, the determined warrior truly understands. This opposing goddess wants them to become stronger in all aspects, this was her way of encouraging her.

It makes her respect this chaotic god greatly. How strange but appropriate.

Even if Starbreaker knew this battle would happen, she could not anticipate that dreadful yet inspiring personality. It made it difficult for her to hate the replica. This was their job; they have been doing this for perhaps billions of years.

Yet this was the last time the concerned star warrior could help out, there were no more candidates after these last five. Perhaps this woman needed to make sure.

Make sure they will be ready.

“No. This is only. Only the beginning. I will never give up. I will show you and everyone else. That this meaningless battle always had meaning! That believing in yourself even when all hope is lost has true value. I now know why you are digging so deep into me, and most likely, will test the rest as well. We are your hope, aren’t we? Then,” Focusing the last of her energy, the warrior of the stars reveals the only technique she had practiced.

One a bit similar to divine strike but more focused and now, more powerful, since the goddess had recently evolved. Star Impact.

If it hits anywhere on an opponent's body, it could cause critical damage no matter what.

The Proctor unit in response merely prepares another Chaos Impact. That red energy emits from a red fist, ready for the conclusion to this battle.

“Then I will show you my, no, our hope. Show you why my real name is-”

Then.

Without hesitation.

The two of them dash towards each other, colliding mid air with their final attack.

Leaving behind a brilliant blinding white light that engulfed everything in the room.

#

Ninety seconds remain until the prison’s self-destruct sequence activates. A large explosion is both heard and felt by Diana and her Lord. The two look around, worried.

“Damn. If only I could.”

“My lord, no! Now is not the time to think about your sister. Focus on getting out of here. We are closing in on the exit.” And indeed, this was the truth. There was little time to think about what had just happened. So much had happened so quickly.

The unveiling of the Proctor unit.

Some truth about them all being in a greater plan, no scheme. That damned War Goddess.

The humiliating but needed lesson in combat. It had humbled even the humble Divine Hammer quite a bit.

And that sister of hers. Oh, Star Breaker. That woman was just as noble as the rest of them, wasn’t she? Just hid it to the last possible dang moment, ah. How frustrating. These thoughts and others slightly fill her mind as the spirits carry the two of them quickly. These mighty star warriors.

Sealing away the fake demon lord but still helping them escape, anyway. But why? What drove them to be so selfless and helpful even in the face of despair? And letting a younger one stand along against an unwinnable threat. Something. Something had made them like this. As she ponders these thoughts, the exit is finally within sight. The back way through this facility was like a maze, intended to keep people out and the replica unit in.

The former star warrior with the lance led the way. The woman was a blue spirit, but it looked like that armor of hers was very similar to the younger creation god’s, well, from a glance.

“Luckily for us, the exit is close. Where are those damned machines we built to guard this place? God damn it, what a waste.” The man with the axe shrugs, carrying the two younger gods briskly.

“It has been over a hundred thousand years. And no one maintained them. Knowing the War Goddess, might have just wrecked them for fun. That bitch has always been cruel for no good reason.” Divine Hammer can only nod as she quickly reported how they traveled here in the first place. He sighs.

“Ah. Tricked, like we were, hmm? Well, it just happens. But looking at your hair, your attacks. It reminds me of, hmm.”

“Of what?”

“The legend. The legend of the five chosen. It's a legend that's been passed down for millions of years, to different parts of the star verse.”

A legend, thoughts spur into the creation gods mind.

60 seconds remain. As they approach the exit, suddenly, those named machines appear. Three of them to be exact, looking rather unfriendly. Chaos energy has seeped into them, corrupting their systems. Immediately,the hulking blue one in front shoots a sphere of energy at the lance knight, forcing her to defend.

“And, of course! They got corrupted. We don’t have time for this, we gotta get the young ones to safety.” As the Lance and Spear knights prepare to dispatch the rogue machines that stand in front of them, they can feel it.

Feel the power of evolution flowing behind them.

It seems these machines had further awoken the latent potential in the exhausted blond-haired woman, rather than the fight with the mighty false Demon Lord. Gold and blue energy surrounded the goddess. Somehow regaining some of her lost energy, the look in her eyes has slightly changed. Almost more determined.

“Don’t you two worry! I’ve got this!” A divine strike forms in the right hand but this time, it becomes almost star-like. In a flash, movement can be seen.

The star flies through the middle of the front of the machine, creating a star-shaped hole where its chest once was. Instantly making it explode violently into a mess of blood and mechanical parts.

The other two fare no different; the star returns to her hand then shoots out. Spinning like a high-speed chakram, it slices and dices those two into bits, causing more blood to splash all over the knights, as well as the star warrior and Diana. Diana is quite astonished, she had never seen such a precise and devastating technique from the Builder. Though, it was temporary.

The evolution energy flows unstable out of that tired body. Divi falls down, exhausted. The knights look at each other in agreement.

This confirmed their early suspicions firstly. But secondly, this was a natural result. It takes time to refine your own evolution energy and to utilize it to evolve to the next form. The first time they tapped into theirs, they had a similar feeling of exhausting or tiredness. But it didn't matter. That elegant battle technique she formed on the fly was only proof of the deep potential the star candidate held. In the next moment, the Lance knight picks the brave, bold young star warrior and quickly carries them.

“That was unnecessary but impressive. What is your name, brave warrior?”

“They call me the Divine Hammer, I am a creation goddess. And well, a warrior, I guess?”

“Oh no need to guess. You are one of our kin. In time, I am sure that you will surpass us. But for now, we must escape! Time is running out!”

Thirty seconds remain. In a dash they move faster, the exit is finally in sight. No more machines are in sight. Seems like they never activated. Useless tech, why did they spend so much time fortifying this prison, this fortress, if half of the damn machines did not activate right at the climatic moment, when they needed to? The Lance knight internally grumbles at the lack of care. The Spear, Axe and Sword knight say nothing, carrying the servant and the exhausted Builder gently as they have finally reached the exit with ten seconds to spare.

The door suddenly forces shut. Though not for long, an energy blast forces debris out of the way as they escape right before the ancient prison begins exploding.

Debris falls, the ruins shake violently. The self-destruct sequence has finally begun.

Small explosions can be seen near them as the outside parts of the fortress are being detonated first. Dust is flung in the air along with metal, which they avoid easily.

They gain a little distance but not enough; it is difficult to move faster carrying these two.

And right as the final explosion begins. A figure appears before them.

A bulky woman, who possesses green hair, dark black and brown armor, and a large defensive object, stands in front of all of them. One who is carrying a mighty blue and emerald great shield. One that looks quite familiar to Diana and the Lord of Creation.

“The Earth Goddess! But how?”

“I vaguely remember you, friend.” Those were the only words that came out of her mouth. The woman spins back around, deploying that massive shield. It grows in size, covering all of them. Green walls also form around all sides of them, further encasing them in a giant barrier. The ground shakes violently and a final explosion occurs, blinding all of them for a moment.