The two armies of mythical creatures collided with a deafening roar, unleashing a shockwave so violent it leveled every building, house, and structure in the area. Dust and debris filled the sky as even Carter and the others were thrown off their feet.
But Ron had a problem—his Ki control. He had already endured Wulkranoth and his men, taking millions of strikes that left his body battered and bleeding. Yet, despite his injuries, the creatures he had summoned were turning the tide, their power amplified by Black Sorcery.
Time itself seemed to shiver as Future Lia bent the space around the portals, erasing them into thin air.
Carter landed beside her, scanning the battlefield. "Where did these creatures even come from?" he shouted over the chaos.
Ron's eyes blazed with blood and fire. He knew he couldn't drag this battle out any longer. With a violent swing of his Blade of Vengeance, flaming slashes tore through the air, incinerating everything in their path. He teleported from one group to the next, cutting down waves of creatures with precise, lethal strikes.
Carter and Future Lia paused, catching their breath amidst the inferno.
"So, DA was right," Carter said, awe in his voice. "Ron can handle everything."
Future Lia's gaze was distant, almost haunted. Carter noticed. "Is something wrong?"
"This… this is the sixth period for Hero Town," she said quietly.
"The sixth what? You know something?" Carter pressed.
Her eyes darkened. "This is the same battle in which you died in my timeline."
Carter's expression remained calm, even in the face of foreboding. "How? What happens in the future?"
"These creatures were summoned by cults empowered by Beyonders. In the end, a Beyonder sends its avatar—and that avatar kills you," she explained.
Carter's brow furrowed. "Avatar of a Beyonder? What's that?"
"Beyonders exist beyond physical form. They are incorporeal, above concepts, myths, existence itself. To manifest in our layer of reality, they require a body—but in that form, they can only unleash ten percent of their true power. And yet… even that ten percent rivals, and can surpass, Aurora. I speak of low-grade Beyonders."
Carter's voice dropped, heavy with curiosity. "Aurora? How strong…?"
"She is the Watcher of the entire first layer," Future Lia said, her voice trembling. "All timelines, all multiverses, all reality itself bends to her will. She can grant or strip power, rewrite destiny, manipulate space, time, causality, death… Create or destroy infinite macrocosms with a flick of her finger."
Carter's calm steadied the storm of tension around them. "So… what do we do?"
"This timeline is different because of that man," she said, pointing at Ron. "In my timeline… he never existed. Maybe, just maybe, we can change the future."
Chains erupted from nowhere, wrapping the mythical creatures in unbreakable bonds. Ron and his team prepared for their final, decisive strike.
Carter blinked. "Wait… who—?"
Ron's eyes widened as he realized: DA was lying on the ground, wounded and battered, sprawled across the ruins like he'd been knocked out. Yet somehow, the chains pulsed with energy, glowing with runes that drained the Ki and power of every enemy they touched.
Future Lia stared, incredulous. "He… he's not even standing!"
DA's faint grin appeared from his prone position. "Did you really think I'd get up for this?"
The chains tightened, pulling energy from every bound creature, leaving them sluggish and defenseless. The battlefield trembled under the cosmic weight of the spell. Even Ron, in awe, couldn't help but smirk at DA's audacity.
Carter shook his head, half-laughing. "Classic DA… lying down and still saving the day."
With the enemies weakened, Ron and his summoned creatures unleashed their combined, fiery assault. The chains held, sapping strength while the team delivered the finishing blow—obliterating the mythical horde in a massive, explosive wave.
Ron collapsed, exhausted, letting the Blade of Vengeance drop. Nearby, a mythical T-Rex approached and smashed its fists against his own—a silent, primal congratulation.
But the planet trembled beneath them. Ron's eyes darted upward. What now? Is the Beyonder watching again?
[The Beyonder "Forever Death" is sending its avatar.]
A piercing blue light shot down from the heavens, consuming Ron's summoned creatures, erasing them bit by bit. Within the radiance, a colossal three-headed serpent formed, radiating devastation.
The moment it fully materialized, it roared, shattering the moon and decimating nearby planets. Hero Town's ruins were swept away as thousands of celestial bodies exploded across the sky.
"This isn't it," Future Lia muttered, confusion flickering across her face. "In my timeline… something else landed." Her eyes narrowed on Ron. "Is it because of him?"
Ron tried to retreat, but the serpent exhaled a corrosive gas. A car was instantly dissolved, rotting away into nothingness.
"What… was that?" Carter shouted, dread in his voice.
"I… I don't know anymore," Future Lia admitted, her hands trembling.
Ron leaped at the serpent, summoning the Blade of Vengeance. He aimed at the middle head, but the left head spewed countless snakes, ensnaring him entirely. The middle head released the same corrosive gas. Ron raised a Black Sorcery barrier, reflecting attacks—but even his magic began to wither under the relentless corrosion.
"Lia! Carter! Help him!" Ron's voice cracked through gritted teeth.
A colossal fist slammed into the serpent's left head, freeing Ron, who teleported out of harm's way.
The battlefield erupted with fury. Carter unleashed a storm of Dark Faith ropes, piercing and binding the serpent to the ground. Future Lia's massive hands tore through its heads, one by one, severing them with precision and rage.
"Haha! Avatars of Beyonders are nothing to us!" Ron grinned, bloodied but defiant.
[The Beyonder "Forever Death" has granted healing powers to his Avatar]
Ron saw the message and said, "I was just kidding, Beyonder my man."
Suddenly, the Beyonder's avatar regenerated, golden light pulsating as the left head reformed. A searing yellow beam shot through the planet, leaving a gaping wound in the surface and obliterating everything beneath. Ron was thrown into the air, burning, and collapsed, unconscious before anyone could react.
Future Lia unleashed her full might, while Carter's Dark Faith ropes anchored the serpent, amplified to prevent its regeneration. With a colossal swing, Future Lia's axe cut all the heads, while Carter channeled a Ki blast into the ropes, exploding the serpent into a million fragments.