The next day, both Beretta and Treyni were already present inside the labyrinth. Veldora had chosen to remain in his true dragon form overnight, sprawled across the smooth stone like a giant guardian beast, releasing waves of magicules into the chamber. His golden eyes glimmered with unrestrained joy.
"Hey, Atem," he rumbled lazily, stretching his massive wings just enough to stir the air, "I haven't felt this comfortable in ages."
I crossed my arms and met his gaze evenly. "Good. Then you won't have to hold back anymore. Release as much as you want—just don't let a single drop reach the outside world."
"GAHAHAHA, I know," Veldora laughed loudly, chest rumbling like thunder.
Do you, though? I narrowed my eyes slightly. He said that with such ease that it almost made me doubt him. Still, this was Veldora. And this time, I intended to give him exactly what he wanted.
Through thought communication, I summoned my executives. Benimaru, Souei, Hakurou, Shion, Ranga, Shuna, Gobta, Gabil, Geld, and Diablo—the most powerful and trusted pillars of Eterna.
Before they arrived, I turned to Veldora. My voice carried weight and precision, like a command etched into stone.
"Veldora. The time has come. Today, I will give you the fight of your life."
The great dragon's head snapped toward me, golden eyes blazing with raw excitement. His grin widened into a feral, almost childlike smile.
"Finally!" he boomed, the chamber trembling with his laughter. "You promised me gods, Atem. GODS!"
Before I could reply, Ramiris flitted into my face like a frantic bee, waving her tiny hands.
"Wha—WHAT!? Did you just say gods?! You're actually going to make Veldora fight gods? Are you trying to blow the entire labyrinth sky high?!"
Her wings beat erratically, panic plain on her face.
Treyni and Beretta exchanged uncertain glances, while in the background, Veldora was laughing like a maniac straight out of some over-the-top battle anime, his booming voice echoing through the floor like a storm.
I looked down at Ramiris, calm but firm. "Worry not. The labyrinth will not be destroyed. I will erect barriers stronger than the labyrinth itself. Not even the heavens will breach them."
Ramiris froze, blinking rapidly. "Y-you're serious…"
"I am always serious," I replied flatly.
A few minutes later, the air shifted as my executives arrived. One after another, they stepped into the chamber, their auras steady and resolute. At their head, Benimaru knelt slightly and bowed.
"Lord Atem," he said respectfully, "you have called for us."
I stepped forward, cloak sweeping across the polished stone floor, and addressed them with unwavering authority.
"Yes. I have summoned you here to witness something unlike anything you have seen before." I raised my hand slightly, the pressure in the air rising with my words. "Today, Veldora will face gods."
A wave of silence followed, like the moment before lightning strikes.
Diablo's eyes widened in manic delight. His grin was sharp, reverent. He clasped his hands together in front of him and spoke in a hushed, fervent tone.
"As expected of you, Lord Atem… to casually summon gods for a battle… truly divine."
Hakurou, stroking his chin thoughtfully, let out a low, almost impressed chuckle. "You never cease to surprise me, Lord Atem. But gods… that is no small matter."
Shion's eyes sparkled with fiery excitement. "This is going to be fun!" she said, already clenching her fists like she wanted to jump in.
Shuna looked nervous but didn't question me. Gabil's jaw was hanging wide open, while Gobta was already trembling between awe and panic.
Veldora, towering behind me, lifted his head and let out a booming laugh that shook the ground. "GAHAHAHA! This is it! The fight I've been waiting for!"
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, my expression calm but sharp. "Make sure you're ready. You're about to fight beings who once ruled empires of the divine."
His grin grew even wider. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The air inside the labyrinth grew heavy—thrumming with power, anticipation, and something primal. The fight that was coming would not be ordinary. This was no spar, no casual test of strength. This would shake the earth beneath us.
And I intended every single one of them to witness it.
The air in the hundredth floor chamber was still. Heavy. So dense with magicules it felt like the entire labyrinth was holding its breath.
I extended my hand and whispered an ancient incantation that no mortal had ever heard spoken aloud. A deep golden glow spread beneath my feet in the shape of a giant Pharaonic seal — its runes blazing brighter with each heartbeat.
Then, with a single thought, I unleashed my power.
BOOM!
A barrier of impossible strength erupted around the entire chamber, flowing like molten gold before hardening into an unbreakable dome. Layer upon layer stacked, each one etched with ancient hieroglyphs. It wrapped around the room like a second reality — sealing out all but Veldora.
The others were protected within the barrier's embrace, their senses assaulted by the sheer pressure radiating from the center.
Veldora stood alone in the middle of the room, his massive dragon form filling the chamber, obsidian scales gleaming with power. He tilted his head back and roared, a sound that cracked through the labyrinth like a meteor strike.
"GAHAHAHAHA! Atem! Whatever you're planning, I can feel it! This is going to be fun!"
I stepped toward him slowly, my cloak sweeping across the floor. The glow from my Millennium Puzzle intensified — a golden brilliance spilling through every crack in the stone.
The moment I raised my right hand… the sky above the labyrinth changed.
"W-what is this pressure!?" Shion gasped, clutching her chest.
Gobta dropped to one knee, trembling uncontrollably. "M-my legs… they're not working…!"
Gabil was sweating buckets, his tail rigid with fear. "This… isn't normal magicules… this is something else entirely!"
Treyni's eyes widened as if she was witnessing the birth of a star. Beretta's usually composed expression flickered with unease.
Even Hakurou, ever calm and collected, had his hand on the hilt of his blade — not in challenge, but in instinctive reverence. "This… this power is divine," he whispered. "It's not of this world."
Ramiris hovered beside Shuna, her wings trembling. "Atem's serious… He's actually calling them."
Diablo, however… Diablo was on the verge of euphoria. His eyes burned crimson, his voice shook with ecstatic reverence. "This… this is true majesty… This is what it means to stand above gods."
Benimaru clenched his fists tightly, feeling the overwhelming power radiate from me. "No wonder… No wonder no one can ever stand against him…"
I began to chant. My voice echoed through the labyrinth like thunder carried on the wind.
"O Divine Ones… born from the dawn of creation…
O pillars upon which the heavens rest…
Heed the decree of the Pharaoh, heir to the Eternal Throne."
The Millennium Puzzle blazed like a miniature sun, casting golden glyphs across the walls, floor, and even the barrier itself.
"By the covenant etched in the sands of time…
By the blood of kings and the will of Ra…
I call upon the Triad that guards the boundary between life and eternity."
The ground trembled as if an invisible colossus was pressing down on it. The air grew so dense that even breathing became difficult.
Ramiris covered her mouth, voice shaking. "H-he's really… summoning them!"
The labyrinth's walls cracked slightly from the pressure alone, only to be instantly held together by the golden barrier.
Then —
"Eternal Serpent of the Crimson Sky… awaken from your slumber and coil around the firmament!"
⚡ SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON ⚡
Red lightning tore through the ceiling of the labyrinth, splitting reality like parchment. A serpentine roar echoed down from the heavens as Slifer's colossal form slithered down from the rift — endless, majestic, crimson scales shimmering like rivers of molten blood.
The entire labyrinth shook violently as his body coiled through the sky. Gobta screamed and covered his ears.
"Titan of Wrath, the Iron Fist of the Divine… rise and let the earth tremble beneath your steps!"
💥 OBELISK THE TORMENTOR 💥
The ground burst open as a massive, blue-skinned titan emerged, muscles like carved stone, his eyes burning with fury. His roar wasn't just sound — it was a physical shockwave.
Benimaru had to brace himself as dust and wind slammed against the barrier. "This… this power is absurd…!"
"Golden Phoenix of the Sacred Sun… sovereign of light, devour the darkness with your eternal flame!"
☀ THE WINGED DRAGON OF RA ☀
A golden blaze ignited above, blinding and holy. A sun was born inside the labyrinth — Ra's wings stretched wide, each feather radiating the light of creation. The temperature spiked, yet the barrier held.
Shuna's eyes were wide, her voice trembling, "I… I can't breathe… This power… it's overwhelming…"
I slowly lowered my arms.
Behind me… three gods stood.
Their roars shook the entire labyrinth like the heartbeat of a world.
Slifer's coils glimmered above like a living storm. Obelisk stood like a living mountain. Ra burned with celestial fire.
"O Three Divine Beasts, bound by ancient law and sacred flame…" I declared, my voice echoing like the judgment of a king.
"By my name as Pharaoh… I command thee to descend! Let judgment be cast — upon Veldora!"
BOOOOOOOM!!!!
The three gods roared in perfect unison. A golden shockwave exploded outward, flattening the air itself, rattling the entire labyrinth as though the underworld itself trembled in awe.
Veldora's eyes widened for the first time. His grin faltered into stunned silence.
Then, a low laugh escaped his throat. It grew louder. Wilder.
"GAHAHAHAHAHA! Atem…! THIS—THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!" His wings flared wide, his scales blazing with magicule energy. "HAHAHAHAHA!"
But even as he laughed, a primal instinct shuddered beneath his excitement. His entire body was reacting to the power before him. His claws dug into the stone floor involuntarily.
For the first time in a long while… Veldora felt pressure.
Shion could barely stand, Shuna's hands were shaking, Gobta had already fainted, Gabil was frozen stiff, and even Benimaru's breathing was heavy.
Diablo whispered with trembling reverence, "This is… divinity unrestrained."
The room had become the stage of gods.
And Veldora—the proud Storm Dragon—stood alone before the might of the Triad of the Heavens.
The battle of legends was about to begin.