The battlefield was silent.
Smoke rose into the dark sky, dark and heavy. The air smelled like burnt soil and ash. The village that once stood here was gone—only rubble remained. Cracked stones, broken weapons, and glowing pieces of shattered god armor covered the ground like fallen stars.
A sudden gust of wind blew across the land, and from far away, a tall figure appeared, walking toward the wreckage. His long dark cloak flapped behind him. His boots touched the broken ground without sound. His eyes were wide as they scanned the destruction.
It was Master Regns.
He stopped, his face full of shock. His brows were furrowed and his lips slightly parted in disbelief.
"What happened here?" he asked in a low, trembling voice.
Lumei was kneeling beside Master Ozaki, helping him sit up. Ozaki's clothes were torn, his face pale, and blood dripped from a cut on his forehead.
Chella and Sora were holding up Ichiha and Yamato, all of them bruised and exhausted. No one spoke at first. The silence hung thick in the air.
Finally, Yamato, breathing heavily, raised his head. His eyes were filled with confusion.
"Master Ozaki…" he said slowly, "he used something. Something we've never seen before."
Sora nodded beside him. Her lips were tight, and hee voice was shaky.
"It wasn't just his God Form. It felt… different. Like the real god was here."
Regns narrowed his eyes. His arms were crossed, and he looked toward Ozaki.
"I thought I felt something," he said. "But it didn't feel like any god power I know."
Lumei, still supporting Ozaki, whispered, "His name was… Kowichi. He didn't just appear like a form. He was real. He came out of nowhere—huge and terrifying."
Ozaki blinked. His breathing was shallow. His eyes widened slightly at the name.
"…Kowichi?" he repeated quietly. His lips trembled. "No… That shouldn't be possible. I always have full control of him."
His hands, still trembling, gripped the dirt beneath him.
"But when I heard that voice… it felt like I wasn't alive anymore. Like Kowichi wasn't listening to me—but to someone else."
Regns turned toward him sharply. "You called him?"
Ozaki slowly shook his head. "I activated Form Four… and after that… I blacked out. I remember raising my scythe… and then nothing."
Ichiha took a step forward, holding his side with one arm.
"It wasn't just that, Master," he said. "You changed. You moved faster than we could see. You tore Kaku apart—like he was nothing."
Ozaki stared at his open hands, dirt and blood mixing in his palms.
"I don't remember the strikes… or the rage," he whispered.
Regns clenched his jaw. His eyes darkened. "Then he—took control."
---
Far away... on Planet Goyth.
The land was dead—covered in the remains of ancient vessels and god bones. At the center of the ruined world stood a single figure, barefoot, on a stone platform. His black cloak moved gently in the windless air.
Around him were the crushed remains of gods who sided with the rebelled Entity. Their weapons lay broken. Their bodies had vanished, erased from existence.
The man standing there was known only in whispers… as The God Slayer.
His eyes opened, glowing golden like twin burning stars. His voice carried thunder.
"I felt it," he said, his mouth barely moving. "Kowichi… that weapon god still lingers."
He reached behind him and rested a hand on the hilt of the massive blade on his back.
"That vessel… who is he?"
And then—he vanished. In a blur, the space around him cracked like glass and he was gone, leaving only an intense pressure in the air. The god corpses around him trembled.
---
Back on the battlefield...
Master Ozaki sat resting against a broken slab of stone. His face looked tired, older somehow. Sweat clung to his brow, and his breath came in soft gasps.
Yamato sat beside him, staring at him without blinking. His voice was low.
"Master…" he said, "What was that voice at the end?"
"You stopped moving," Yamato said. His hands were clenched into fists. "Then we heard something. It said, 'Kill this fool for me.' That's what scared me. It wasn't your voice. It controlled you."
The others grew silent. The wind carried only the sound of rustling armor.
Sora stepped forward, her face pale. "I heard it too. Someone else was speaking—through him. Someone… stronger."
Ozaki's expression darkened. He stared at the ground, the shadows under his eyes deepening.
"…It would be a higherpower," he said finally.
Yamato leaned closer. "The voice… it said Kowichi was its creation. That means it is even more powerful than Kowichi?."
Master Regns stepped forward, speaking slowly. "A god… above gods?"
Ozaki's eyes lifted to meet him. His voice was dry and low. "He controls them."
Suddenly, Lumei gasped. His body froze, eyes wide open—but he wasn't blinking. It was like he was watching something that no one else could see.
Blood dripped from his eyes.
"Lumei!" Yamato shouted, rushing to him.
Lumei's mouth opened, and he spoke in a cold, hollow tone.
"That voice we heard… it's beyond every vessel in this world," he said, his words slow and heavy. "It is… him."
His body began shaking. Blood ran from his nose, his eyes, and the corners of his mouth.
Yamato grabbed him tightly, placing both hands on his chest. He closed his eyes and released a warm light from his palms—his healing power.
"Stay with me," Yamato whispered. "Come on…"
Lumei groaned and gasped. Slowly, the bleeding stopped. His body relaxed, and color returned to his face.
Everyone stared in silence.
The wind blew gently through the ruined village. But now, the silence was heavier. A fear had settled among them—one that none of them could explain.
Something was watching.
And it was just the beginning.