The floating shards of the Forgotten Nexus pulsed like a fractured heartbeat. Time was bleeding into itself. Past, present, and potential futures coexisted in unstable harmony.
Akira and Kuroo stood silently on a floating platform, absorbing what they had just witnessed. The cloaked figure's words echoed in their minds.
> Akira: "Unite the timelines… But how do we even begin?"
> Kuroo: "Maybe that's the point. We're supposed to find out… or create the way."
A deep hum vibrated through the air. The platform beneath them trembled.
Suddenly, portals opened—five of them, each leaking different energies. From each portal, a figure stepped forward. Warriors. Beings corrupted by twisted timelines, each powerful in their own right.
> Mysterious Warrior #1: "We were sent to test you."
> Warrior #2: "To see if you're worthy of the convergence."
The battle began.
---
Akira vs Two Corrupted Warriors
Akira's body shimmered with golden energy as he evaded a barrage of dark projectiles. One of his opponents, a speedster, tried circling him.
But Akira had changed.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then disappeared in a flash of light—reappearing behind the attacker with a radiant blade formed in his hand.
> Akira: "You're fast. But light bends time."
He struck, the impact creating a shockwave that tore apart part of the platform.
---
Kuroo vs Three Corrupted Warriors
Kuroo grinned wildly as one of the enemies rushed him with a massive cleaver. He let the blade come close, ducked, and caught the attacker by the arm.
> Kuroo: "I like your weapon. Mind if I borrow it?"
Dark shadows enveloped him as he stole the cleaver mid-spin and used it to shatter the second attacker's defense.
But the third launched an attack laced with time distortion.
Kuroo was hit—briefly frozen in a suspended moment—but then his eyes glowed deep purple.
> Kuroo: "Tch. I own my timeline."
He snapped free, darkness bursting from him, repelling the distortion.
---
Together, Akira and Kuroo converged again.
The five enemies regrouped, their bodies flickering with glitch-like instability.
> Warrior #3 (surprised): "This… isn't possible. They're syncing…!"
> Akira (serious): "We're not just syncing. We're rewriting this battlefield."
They unleashed a joint attack—Akira's light surged in a spiral, while Kuroo's darkness formed chains of reality-bending force. The result: a blinding explosion that swallowed the five enemies and collapsed the surrounding rift.
When the dust settled, only Akira and Kuroo stood—barely.
Their arms hung limp. Their breathing was ragged.
And then—a new portal opened.
This one was different. It wasn't unstable—it was... welcoming.
From it stepped a single man.
He wore a tattered cloak, eyes half-hidden behind silver hair. His aura was calm—too calm.
> Mysterious Man: "So… you've passed the test. But you're not ready for what's coming."
> Akira: "Who are you?"
The man didn't answer. He looked at both of them and said only one thing:
> "The true enemy isn't just watching… they're waiting."
The portal behind him shimmered.
> Kuroo (to Akira): "Guess we're stepping into hell again."
> Akira: "Together."
And with that, they walked into the unknown.
End of Chapter 28