He swiftly teleports away from Takumi, trying to escape the rewinding effect. However, Takumi's energy still lingers in the air, continuing to rewind Axel despite his attempt to flee. The black liquid around Axel starts to reverse its flow, pulling him back towards Takumi against his will.
Takumi: "It's over. You can't win against the Time Orb King."
He growls, his anger palpable. Despite Takumi's menacing words, Axel remains surprisingly calm. His body continues to rewind, but his expression remains steady, almost smirking through the goat mask he wears.
Axel makes a split-second decision, merging the full power of the book with the link's energy. The moment he activates this ultimate combination, Takumi's rewinding energy suddenly becomes completely ineffective. Axel stops reversing age instantly, his body locked in its current state despite Takumi's powerful time manipulation.
Takumi immediately activates Time Freeze, attempting to halt Axel in his tracks. However, the effect only lasts for a minute. Axel's immense power, fueled by the book at one hundred percent capacity, renders Takumi's time manipulation ineffective beyond that brief moment.
Takumi: "What the hell?"
He whispers to himself, disbelief etched on his face. He stares at Axel in shock, his time manipulation powers seemingly useless against him. The goat mask hides Axel's expression, but Takumi can sense the calm confidence radiating from him. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Axel: "Time Orb King?"
He echoes softly, controlling the black liquid expertly. He lunges at Takumi with rapid, unblockable attacks. However, Takumi's reflexes are lightning-fast. He dodges each strike effortlessly, his body contorting in impossible ways to avoid the black liquid's sharp edges.
Takumi quickly activates Time Freeze again to halt the black liquid's assault mid-air. But Axel doesn't miss a beat. He extends his control to the sky above, manipulating the clouds to rain down black liquid instead. Fatal drops begin to fall from above, each one capable of instantly killing Takumi if touched.
Axel: "It's over for you."
He declares confidently as black liquid rains down from the sky. Suddenly, black flames erupt around Takumi, creating a protective barrier that blocks every drop of deadly liquid. Shocked by this unexpected intervention, Takumi turns around to find Mochizuki standing behind him.
Takumi: "Mochizuki...!"
He breathes out in shock as he watches Mochizuki's eyes turn an eerie blue. Before Takumi can react further, Mochizuki launches intense blue flames directly at Axel. The flames move with incredible speed and precision, aiming to overwhelm Axel immediately.
Axel: "Ready for round three?"
He smirks confidently before suddenly changing the game field. With a wave of his hand, everyone in the town is instantaneously transported to different locations across the world, creating isolated sections. Takumi and Mochizuki find themselves standing alone in vast, unfamiliar landscapes.
(A few minutes earlier).
Hiromi is running very quickly with Emi in her arms, already feeling the effects of God's power, especially the emotions she feels for the person she fought. She wants to kill him, which makes God's power hurt her instead because of her violent thoughts. As she remembers one of the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not kill."
(In her mind).
"I can't kill him."
She thinks to herself, remembering the commandment.
"But I have to injure him. His obsession with her is strong; even though he's in pain, he manages to keep going."
She tightens her grip on Emi as she runs.
"How can I make him stop being obsessed with her? Better yet, how can I ensure he doesn't kill her? He's so obsessed with trying to kill her that it's disturbing."
(Out of her mind).
She felt an unsettling energy approaching quickly. She looked back to see Aaron once again, his smile twisted and menacing.
Aaron: "Did you really think you escaped from me?!"
He screams loudly as the background suddenly changes due to Axel's teleportation technique. Now, Hiromi and Aaron are alone together in an unfamiliar place. His twisted smile returns, more intense than before.
Aaron: "Gotcha."
He whispers darkly.
Hiromi: "You don't have to do this!"
She yells at Aaron, her strength energy surging within her. Her eyes change from blue to an intense white as she tries to reason with him.
Hiromi: "Killing someone won't make you feel better, especially someone who never did anything to you!"
Aaron: "Shut up!"
He snaps.
Aaron: "You don't know anything! I want to kill her!"
His eyes darken, and his voice drops dangerously low. He tightens his fists, his obsession growing.
Hiromi: "I'm having too many dark thoughts."
She realizes, suppressing God's power.
Hiromi: "I can't use it right now. I'll try to beat you with my own strength."
She puts Emi down gently and charges at Aaron, her fists glowing with strength energy.
Hiromi: "Take this!"
She yells, throwing a punch.
Aaron: "Please."
He scoffs, grabbing Hiromi's fist.
Aaron: "In the human world, females are weaker than males. Even among Orbs, males are stronger. It's a fact!"
He squeezes her fist, trying to prove his point.
Aaron: "You can't beat me with just your strength."
Hiromi: "Then I'll at least try."
She grits her teeth. She doesn't want to watch him kill someone innocent. She kicks him hard in the crotch using all her strength energy.
Hiromi: "Take that you pig!"
She yells, her face red with anger and determination.
Aaron's eyes widen in shock and pain as Hiromi's powerful kick connects with his groin. He didn't expect her to target such a sensitive area.
Aaron: "Gah!"
He groans, doubling over and releasing her fist.
Aaron: "You...bitch!"
He gasps out between clenched teeth, rage and humiliation filling his face.
Without hesitation, Hiromi follows up her groin kick with a swift headbutt aimed straight at Aaron's nose. She hopes the blunt force will knock him unconscious rather than kill him.
"I'm not letting you kill anybody!"
She snarls fiercely, channeling all her anger and fear into the brutal strike.
Hiromi's anger turns to shock as she sees a twisted smile spread across Aaron's face despite the blood pouring from his nose. Before she can react, his hand suddenly pierces through her chest, straight into her heart. She gasps in pain and disbelief as darkness begins to creep into her vision.
Aaron: "This time you're staying dead,"
He growls menacingly, throwing Hiromi's limp body aside. He turns his attention to Emi, the innocent little girl he's been obsessed with killing all along. His eyes darken with a twisted joy as he strides towards her.
Hiromi watches in horror as Aaron turns his attention to Emi. She realizes that she's no match for him, having been defeated twice now. Her body feels weak and broken, barely able to move. Tears of frustration and fear stream down her face as she watches Aaron approach the terrified little girl.
(In her mind).
"No... not again! This can't be happening!"
She panics, her mind racing as she watches Aaron reach out to grab Emi. With a desperate scream, she pushes aside all negative thoughts and focuses on God's power within her.
"I have to save her!"
(Out of her mind).
A bright spark of rainbow energy suddenly surrounds Hiromi's battered body, healing her wounds instantly as God's power flows through her once more. But this time, she hears a mysterious voice echo in her mind - "Let me show you how it's done." The voice seems familiar yet foreign.
Aaron's hand is inches from Emi when suddenly a strong grip wraps around his arm, stopping him mid-motion. He looks back to see Hiromi standing there, her eyes glowing with an intense rainbow light. Before he can react, she twists his arm violently, breaking it with a sickening snap.
His eyes widen in shock and pain as the book's powers suddenly fail to activate. He cries out in agony, his broken arm hanging limply as he realizes something is incredibly wrong. The rainbow energy surrounding Hiromi feels completely different this time, almost like someone - or something else - is controlling her entirely.
Rainbow-colored chains materialize from Hiromi's hands, wrapping around Aaron and absorbing his strength. He collapses to his knees, weakened and helpless.
Hiromi: "I don't want to kill you, Aaron."
Her voice is steady and resolute.
She commands him sternly, her voice echoing eerily like it's not entirely hers anymore.
Hiromi: "Stop this madness right now! No more obsession! No more killing!"
The rainbow chains tighten slightly around him as if emphasizing each word with divine authority. Her eyes glow brighter momentarily.
Aaron glares up at Hiromi through pain-filled eyes, his voice laced with a mix of fear and rage as he demands.
Aaron: "Who the fuck are you?! Answer me! Are you God or something?!"
He struggles weakly against the rainbow chains, his broken arm flopping uselessly.
Aaron: "You think this will stop me from killing her?!"
He snarls, his anger boiling over.
Aaron: "You have another thing coming! I won't be stopped by some divine intervention!"
He struggles violently against the rainbow chains, his face contorted in rage. He pushes his powers to the absolute limit, pouring everything he has into that single attack. The air around him crackles with dark energy at 1000% power - the maximum Kaito allowed. But even as he unleashes this massive assault, doubt creeps into his mind.
In an instant, Hiromi negates Aaron's 1000% power blast with ease. The sheer force of it causes Aaron to collapse to the ground as if bowing before her. His eyes widen in shock and fear as he realizes just how powerful this entity controlling Hiromi truly is.
(In his mind).
"Could it be God Himself?"
His body trembles uncontrollably as he lies prostrate before Hiromi. The realization that he might be facing his end sends ice-cold fear coursing through his veins. He sees his own death reflected in her glowing, otherworldly eyes and prepares himself for the final blow.
"It's over..."
(Out of his mind).
Hiromi's voice echoes with a divine authority as she reveals the identity on who is taking control.
Hiromi: "I am not God, but I am the Protector of Heaven."
Her rainbow chains glow brighter as she looms over Aaron's trembling form.
Aaron recognizes the name immediately, his voice barely above a whisper as he acknowledges the powerful Archangel before him.
Aaron: "Archangel Michael..."
He knows the legend, the protector of Heaven, the leader of the angelic armies. His fear intensifies, realizing he's utterly outmatched against this divine being.
(In his mind).
"There's no way that's Archangel Michael. Damn it! I thought killing the girl would be easier said than done, but she's so powerful that she refuses to die despite being killed two times."
He trembles in fear, but his obsession with killing Emi grows stronger. He knows that killing the girl who is being controlled by Archangel Michael would be impossible.
(Out of his mind).
Aaron: "So are you going to kill me?"
He asked the angel who was controlling Hiromi.
Hiromi/Archangel Michael: "No. I am not going to kill you."
Aaron's eyes widened in disbelief. He pulled out a knife and immediately rushed towards little girl Emi despite the rainbow chains.
Aaron: "Too bad, then! I'll kill her instead!"
He shouted, his obsession overriding his fear.
Before Aaron could reach the small girl, the rainbow chains yanked him back and away from her. Hiromi tightened her grip on the chains, making sure Aaron would never get close to Emi again.
Hiromi/Archangel Micheal: "Don't you dare touch her."
She growled warningly.
Aaron: "Stop interfering with me!"
He growled, struggling against the rainbow chains. As he realized he couldn't escape, his expression twisted from anger to despair. Tears began streaming down his face as he broke down completely under Hiromi's unyielding grip on the chains keeping him away from Emi.
(In her mind).
Archangel Micheal: "It's time to kill him."
He said firmly to Hiromi. But Hiromi shook her head stubbornly, refusing to follow through with the order. She believed there was always a better way than killing someone, even if they were as obsessed and dangerous as Aaron.
Hiromi: "No, there has to be a better way."
She said firmly to the angel, her voice filled with conviction. She couldn't bear the thought of ending someone's life when there might be another solution.
Archangel Micheal: "Better make up your mind quickly."
He said as he prepared to leave.
Archangel Michael: "I'm giving you full control of this situation now, but don't make me regret leaving Aaron alive. I won't come back to find you dead because you refused to kill him."
Once Archangel Michael left, Hiromi was alone with Aaron, still pinned down by the rainbow chains. She took a deep breath and decided to try reasoning with him instead of resorting to violence.
Hiromi: "Aaron, please listen to me."
She said calmly, despite his earlier threats and attacks.
Aaron: "Don't you dare try to talk me out of it!"
He snarled, his eyes burning with hatred and obsession as he glared at Hiromi.
Aaron: "You've tried countless times before, and it never worked! So don't bother wasting your breath on me again!"
He struggled against the chains, his face contorted with anger.
Kaito: "Is this what the first link got?"
He appeared suddenly between Hiromi and Aaron, a mocking smirk on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly enjoying the situation and Aaron's frustration.
Kaito: "So pathetic, Aaron. Still struggling against those chains like a worm on a hook."
He shifted his gaze from Aaron to Emi, the little girl watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. He sighed dramatically before turning back to Aaron.
Kaito: "I said I wouldn't interfere, but... this is getting ridiculous."
He stepped closer to Hiromi and Aaron.
Kaito: "Let me handle this."
He snapped his fingers nonchalantly. Suddenly, Emi exploded into countless small pieces, blood and tissue splattering everywhere. Hiromi's eyes widened in shock and horror. Aaron, however, was momentarily stunned. He had wanted to kill Emi himself, not have her murdered so abruptly by Kaito.
His twisted smile grew wider as he looked at the bloody mess that was once Emi.
Kaito: "She was on her deathbed anyway."
He said casually, shrugging his shoulders.
Kaito: "I just sped up the process."
He turned his attention back to Aaron, his smile turning cold and menacing.
Aaron's face contorted with anger and despair as he shouted at Kaito.
Aaron: "I wanted to kill her myself! You promised me I could do it!"
He struggled violently against the rainbow chains, ignoring the blood and gore surrounding him. His obsession and rage were palpable.
Aaron: "You piece of shit!"
Hiromi looked down at the bloody scene, her eyes filling with tears as she realized what had happened. She had sworn to protect Emi, but now... She covered her mouth with her hands, fighting back sobs. The little girl she had cared for was now just a mess of blood and tissue.
Kaito's attention shifted to Hiromi, his expression turning serious.
Kaito: "As the original link, I'm responsible for taking care of all the others."
He said, his tone cold and calculated.
Kaito: "That means you, Aaron... but I have something else on my mind right now."
Hiromi immediately does a fighting stance, her tears drying instantly as adrenaline kicked in. Her hands glowed with rainbow energy as she prepared to defend herself or attack whatever he was planning.
(In her mind).
"This guy is terrifying. I've never seen anyone who can kill someone without even touching them."
She knew Kaito was dangerous, but seeing him snap his fingers and kill Emi from afar... It was terrifying beyond belief.
(Out of her mind).
Aaron: "She was MY kill!"
He broke down crying, his previous anger replaced by heartbreaking sobs. Meanwhile, Kaito appeared right in front of Hiromi in an instant, his movement so fast it was barely visible. He reached out and grabbed her throat before she could react.
Kaito: "The girl with God's power."
He murmured coldly, his fingers tightening around Hiromi's throat.
Kaito: "You're just a cockroach that refuses to die."
He removed the rainbow chains from Aaron abruptly, letting him collapse to the ground sobbing over Emi's remains.
Kaito: "Maybe taking her as a prisoner will satisfy Axel."
He muttered to himself as he made Hiromi disappear with a snap of his fingers. He turned back to Aaron, who was still curled up on the ground, crying uncontrollably over Emi's bloodied remains. Kaito watched him coldly for a moment before speaking again.
Kaito: "Get over it."
He said coldly, his voice as harsh as the kick he delivered to Aaron's stomach.
Kaito: "You were never going to kill her."
He watched as Aaron doubled over in pain, his sobs momentarily interrupted by gasps of agony.
Aaron: "Shut up!"
He yelled angrily, trying to stab Kaito with a nearby knife. However, Kaito easily grabbed his wrist mid-air and pinned him down on the cold ground harshly. Aaron struggled beneath him, his face contorted with rage and grief combined.
Aaron: "Let me go!"
Kaito: "Naughty little link trying to be bad again."
He said coldly, his hands already working on Aaron's pants.
Kaito: "I'm not gay, but I'll teach you your place."
He roughly pulled down Aaron's pants and boxers, exposing him completely.
Aaron: "No! No! Get off me!"
He screamed, his struggles becoming more desperate as he felt Kaito's hands on him. He was genuinely terrified now, his mind completely focused on the impending violation rather than his earlier grief or anger.
Aaron: "Please, don't! I'll be good! I promise!"
A twisted smile spread across Kaito's face as he began to roughly jam his fingers into Aaron's tight hole.
Aaron: "Ahh! N-no!"
He screamed in horror and pain, thrashing beneath Kaito's strong grip. He hated every second of it, feeling completely humiliated and violated.
Aaron: "St-stop it! Take your fingers out!"
Kaito: "Admit it."
He growled, his fingers curling inside Aaron's tight hole, making him yelp.
Kaito: "You were never going to kill her. Answer me while I finger your tight little hole."
He added more lubrication with his spit, making his fingers slide in and out easily.
Kaito: "Hmm?"
Aaron: "You always get in the way!"
He screamed, his voice breaking as he struggled desperately against Kaito's hold.
Aaron: "You know I wanted to kill her! But you always interfere! You always—ahh!"
Kaito: "That's right."
He said, his voice cold and dominant.
Kaito: "Because I'm always in control."
He emphasized his point by thrusting his fingers deeper into Aaron's hole, making him cry out in pain and humiliation.
Kaito: "And you know what?"
Aaron: "What?"
He asked, his voice shaking with fear and anger. He hated being in this position, hated feeling so vulnerable and helpless under Kaito's strong grip. He glared up at Kaito, waiting for his response.
Kaito: "You'll be my plaything from now on."
He said, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He used his energy to summon a thick, leather collar, which he snapped around Aaron's neck.
Kaito: "And this collar will remind you who's in control. Me. Always me."
Aaron's eyes widened as he looked up at Kaito. He was suddenly very aware of his naked lower body, his exposed hole, and the collar around his neck. He was like a dog - no, worse than a dog. He hated this. He hated Kaito.
Kaito: "Now you belong to me."
He said, pulling sharply on the leash attached to Aaron's collar. Aaron yelped in pain as his neck was suddenly choked by the collar. He screamed and screamed, tears streaming down his face as he realized the full extent of his captivity.
(Meanwhile at the other side of the unknown world).
(Disease Orb King/Earth Orb King).
Ashton: "How fascinating the Orbilence is here."
He murmurs softly, his voice barely audible.
His black gas mask disassembles and reforms into a traditional plague doctor mask, complete with its elongated beak and wide, round eyes. The transformation is eerie and unsettling, mirroring the sudden shift in his mood.
He walked away from the lifeless body of the goat cult member, his steps deliberate and purposeful. The energy he sensed in the distance pulsed like a beacon, drawing him forward through the dimly lit corridor. The plague doctor mask cast strange shadows on his face as he moved silently.
(At the other side of the world).
Mochizuki: "So what now?"
He asks, his voice barely above a whisper. Takumi turns to face him, while Kaien stands silently beside Mochizuki, his arm still linked with the other boy's.
Takumi: "I don't know."
He replies calmly, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. He has no idea where they are or how to escape this mysterious place. Mochizuki bites his lip, looking equally lost and Kaien's grip on his arm tightens slightly in anxiety.
Mochizuki: "It's okay, Kaien."
He whispers softly, trying to reassure his anxious friend. Takumi watches this interaction quietly, his expression unreadable.
Kaien's shoulders relax a bit at Mochizuki's soft words. He looks up at the taller boy, his eyes pleading for reassurance. Mochizuki smiles slightly, trying to ease the tension. Suddenly, there's a loud crash from somewhere nearby.
Mochizuki: "What was that?"
He asks, his voice trembling slightly as the ground begins to shake. The three of them run towards the sound, only to find themselves suddenly transported into a dark, eerie tunnel system. The walls are covered in strange symbols and the air is thick with dread.
Takumi: "What the hell is happening?"
He mutters, his eyes wide with disbelief. He looks from Mochizuki to Kaien, waiting for one of them to explain.
Mochizuki: "I don't know..."
He swallows hard.
This will continue in the next chapter