Tues's cold laughter echoed in the void. "Well, well. You caught me."
A desperate Fernando, seeing his supposed savior, stumbled towards him. "Lord Tues! Thank the abyss you're—"
Tues didn't even glance his way. A flicker of disdain crossed his features, and Fernando simply... unraveled, his body dissolving into motes of dust that scattered into the infinite nothingness.
"You are a worm," Tues stated, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I am not here for you. I am here for exceptional talent." His gaze, heavy with ancient power, settled on Nero. "So, what do you say? Join hands with me. I swear, you will get everything you could ever wish for."
Nero's expression was unreadable. This is it. This is the presence I sensed, the reason I prolonged Fernando's pathetic existence. The true puppet master is finally here.
"Can I ask you something?" Nero's voice was calm, analytical. "What was your purpose? What does a powerful entity like you gain from manipulating Fernando, from pitting him against me? I know this was all your design. What is your goal?"
Tues's lips curled into a thin smile. "Exceptionally smart. That is precisely why I find you so intriguing. For anyone else, I would refuse. But for you... I will explain."
"You know the fundamental principles of the Gate, do you not?" Tues began, lecturing like a professor to a prized student. "One: Its power cannot be used for personal benefit or worldly domination. Beings like us are forbidden from engaging in the petty squabbles of mortals."
"Two:" he continued, holding up a second finger, "We are, however, permitted to kill humans. To act as executioners when the weight of their Karmic Pot overflows. To bring cosmic justice. We have the absolute authority to cleanse, even if it means scouring a planet clean of life. This is our official duty. To Maintain the Karmic Balance of the Multiverse. This is the sole reason we are blessed with such exceptional power."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "I believe you can now deduce why I engineered the conflict between you and Fernando."
Nero's eyes narrowed. "To artificially inflate the Karmic impurity on Earth through massive death and suffering. To create a 'justifiable' reason for you to interfere. And to collect the Eternal Fragment hidden here."
"Of course," Tues confirmed, sounding almost proud. "That is the entire reason."
"So my awakening... that was also part of your plan?" Nero asked, his voice dangerously low.
"You could say that," Tues shrugged. "We knew of your heritage. That you were the son of the legendary Third Gate User, Leo. We were unsure if you would awaken, but the chance was worth the investment."
Nero's composure cracked for a fraction of a second. "Do you know anything about my father's death?"
Tues's smile turned coy. "I can only answer that question if you swear loyalty to us. Join our group: The Fatebreakers."
Nero's face hardened. "Hmph. Forget that question, then. One last thing: Why do you want the Eternal Fragments?"
"Sorry," Tues said, not sounding sorry at all. "I cannot tell you that either. Not unless you join us. So, what will it be? Stand aside and let me collect the fragment, or...?"
Nero's answer was a fist moving faster than light, aimed at Tues's face with the force of a supernova.
Tues caught it effortlessly, his hand not even trembling. "So, you refuse." His voice lost its playful tone, turning frigid. "You will regret this."
The violent battle began in earnest.
Aryavarta: The Waiting
Back in Aryavarta, the survivors had gathered near the unstable rift leading to the Plain of Infinity. A tense silence hung over them, broken only by the groans of the wounded.
Then, a new presence arrived. Verlord walked calmly through the broken streets and simply sat, cross-legged, facing the rift, his gaze intense and unwavering.
The remaining Aryavartan generals tensed. "What is he doing here?" one whispered. "Don't tell me he's here for revenge for his son! Even at full strength, he's a nightmare to handle. In our state... what can we do?"
Verlord didn't turn. "Be quiet," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I am focusing."
Plain of Infinity: The Duel Gates
Back in the void, Nero was being pushed back. Tues's power as a Third Gate User was immense. With a roar of defiance, Nero reached deeper than ever before.
"Hellvine Gate: Divine + Hell Fusion! ACTIVATE!"
A cataclysmic eruption of power ensued. Darky, Whity, and Eri, sensing his desperate need, didn't just aid him—their essences merged with his, combining their strength into a singular, unimaginable force. Nero's form stabilized, now radiating a terrifying mix of divine light and hellish shadow. He began to overpower Tues.
No wonder, Tues thought, blocking a blow that shattered nearby constellations. The power of Dual Gates is always a heavy burden for a single Gate user to bear.
He took hit after hit, his form flickering. Then, he smiled. A cruel, calculated smile. "Idiot. You fell for it." He snapped his fingers.
"Gate of the Second: Gate of Senses."
Nero, seeing an opening, delivered a final, devastating punch that blew Tues's head clean off.
Is he finished?
"Over here," Tues's voice came from behind him, completely unharmed. "Don't lag behind, buddy."
Nero stared in disbelief. He remembered landing every blow. He felt the impacts. How was this possible?
Tues seized the moment of confusion. He launched a brutal counter-assault, beating Nero down with contemptuous ease. "Things are getting interesting," Tues mused, an evil smile plastered on his face.
Nero struggled to his feet, blood dripping from his lips. "I won't... I won't let you destroy my home!"
The Illusion of Victory
The rift in Aryavarta shimmered. Nero stumbled out, followed by a smiling, unhurried Tues.
Yoshito and the others surged forward, hope on their faces. "Nero! You're back! Did you win? Is Fernando dead?"
"Of course he did!" someone else cheered. "He's victorious! Who's your friend?"
"STAY BACK, EVERYONE!" Verlord's voice boomed, laced with pure alarm.
It was too late.
Nero raised a hand. In his eyes, he was facing down Tues's final, monstrous avatar. In reality, a beam of pure annihilation erupted from his palm, aimed directly at his friends.
Verlord and the few standing generals reacted instantly, throwing up a combined barrier. The impact was deafening. The shield held, but barely, and the concussive force sent cracks racing through the ground and threw everyone off their feet. They sustained heavy injuries from the backlash alone.
"Baltimore!" someone yelled as a new figure arrived in a flash of light—an old mage with a long beard, radiating immense power. The SSS-Rank Great Mage added his strength to the barrier, stabilizing it.
Yoshito, coughing blood, looked at the swirling shadow of the Dark Calamity beside him. "I need it! The fusion! Give me that power again!"
'In your current state, your body will break,' the Calamity's voice echoed in his mind, laced with concern.
"I DON'T CARE!" Yoshito screamed. "JUST ALLOW ME!"
Everyone took a defensive stance, horrified and confused. "What's wrong with him?! Why is he attacking us?!"
Verlord, his arms trembling from holding the barrier, provided the grim answer. "He is under the effect of the Gate of the Second! A Gate that provides no strength of its own, but whose effects are far deadlier! It severs one from their six senses!"
Baltimore nodded grimly, sweat beading on his forehead. "He is trapped in an illusion! Right now, he believes he is still fighting his enemy! He cannot see or hear us! We must subdue the caster! If we can render that man unconscious for even a second, Nero may break free!"
They charged, not at Nero, but at the smirking Tues. But Nero, seeing only enemy attacks, moved to intercept. He became an impenetrable wall of devastation, effortlessly blocking every attempt to reach the true foe.
Soon, the battlefield was a scene of despair. Yoshito, Keisuke, Sayuri, Daiki—all of Nero's comrades—lay pinned to the ground, too injured to move. Only Verlord and Baltimore remained on their feet, barely standing, their energy nearly spent.
Tues laughed, a sound of pure, unadulterated malice. He pointed a languid finger at Verlord.
"Nero," he commanded, his voice dripping with mockery. "Kill him."