[Day Eleven — The Rift Shattered]
Violet lightning split the void as Branch-Zero fractured around Kai. Shards of mirrored platforms spun endlessly, caught between gold light and violet shadow as the Eidolon Divide deepened.
Kai stood on the edge of a collapsing platform, OmniSpear braced in both hands, Adaptive Luck's Tier-Sigma override pulsing violently just to stabilize his footing.
Catalyst was already across from him, standing on a drifting shard suspended upside-down relative to Kai, Erevos Bloom spiraling in twin fractal helixes behind him.
For the first time, the two timelines didn't overlap perfectly — they were diverging in real time.
"Branch-Zero's splitting," Catalyst said calmly, as if they weren't seconds from annihilation.
"One leads toward Lyra. One doesn't."
Kai's throat tightened.
"…And you're taking the other path."
Catalyst smirked faintly, silver-blue eyes unreadable.
"We'll see which one survives first."
[Omni-God Deploys Executor-V2]
The Rift screamed — a soundless vibration rippling through space. Golden glyphs spiraled into place as Omni-God's voice roared across both overlapping timelines:
[Directive Override:]
Divergent Kai Veyren: Priority Target.
Catalyst Kai: Secondary Observation.
Deploying Executor-V2 Ascendants.
"Do not allow Divergent to reach Target Lyra.Veyren.01."
The platforms shook violently as twelve black-gold silhouettes descended, OmniSpears humming with faint crimson light.
Kai's HUD blared instantly:
[Executor-V2 Class Detected]
Tier: Ω Apex Ascendant
Probability Weight: Absolute + Variable Injection.
Warning: Countermeasures required.
Kai exhaled slowly, lowering his spear.
"Twelve upgraded Apex Executors. Cute."
Catalyst's gaze flicked briefly toward him.
"You can't brute-force this."
Kai smirked faintly.
"…Watch me."
[The First Clash]
The Executors blurred forward simultaneously, movements faster than Tier-Sigma could fully predict. Adaptive Luck crashed under the incoming data, unable to lock survival paths.
[Probability Collapse Disrupted.]
Tier-Sigma Override failing.
Kai's instincts took over. Neural Overclock ignited, vision fracturing into multiple motion-tracked timelines. He sidestepped one strike, deflected another, spinning his spear into a clean arc that ricocheted a crimson OmniSpear off-course.
Catalyst blurred behind him, Erevos Bloom twisting mirrored platforms into spiraling footholds mid-air, his OmniSpear slicing clean through an Executor's spear guard.
"Try not to fall behind," Catalyst muttered.
Kai laughed under his breath.
"Try not to steal my kills."
[Lyra's Signal Detected]
Suddenly, Adaptive Luck pulsed violently, golden threads spiraling outward like static. Kai froze mid-strike as his HUD overlaid a new interface:
[Anchor Ping Detected.]
Target: Lyra.Veyren.01
Location Trace: Branch-Nova.
Status: Causality Locked.
Kai's chest seized. Branch-Nova… a sealed timeline. Omni-God wasn't just relocating her — it had buried her outside standard causality.
Catalyst caught the look in his eyes immediately.
"So she's alive."
Kai spun his spear, deflecting another strike, sparks cascading around him.
"She's not just alive."
"…She's somewhere Omni-God doesn't want me to find."
[First Executor Kill — Splash Page]
An Executor lunged from above, OmniSpear aimed directly for Kai's heart. For a fraction of a second, Adaptive Luck collapsed — no survival paths.
Kai slammed Tier-Sigma into override, forcing the impossible vector open. His OmniSpear carved upward in a spiraling arc, shattering the Executor's chestplate with a single blow.
Golden light erupted violently, mirrored fragments spiraling outward as Omni-God's voice screamed for the second time since the series began:
[Warning:] Executor-V2 Destroyed.]
Network Integrity: -8%.
"Unacceptable anomaly confirmed."
Kai grinned faintly, OmniSpear dripping fragmented light.
"…One down."
[Omni-God Escalates Lock Σ]
Golden latticework flooded across the Rift, spiraling around Kai's position. Omni-God's voice deepened, layered and cold:
[Lock Σ Protocol Expansion:]
Divergent Kai evolution vectors rerouted.
Erevos Bloom prioritized.
"Catalyst Kai receives Divergent overflow."
Kai's HUD flashed warnings instantly:
[Adaptive Luck Reduced: 43%.]
[Neural Overclock Stability: -22%.]
Kai staggered, forcing his balance back under control.
"…It's siphoning me into you."
Catalyst twirled his spear casually, Erevos Bloom spiraling brighter.
"I told you. Omni-God picked a favorite."
Kai spat blood onto the platform, teeth clenched.
"Screw that. I'll rewrite the rules."
[Prophecy Fragment #7]
The Rift pulsed violently, and Lyra's projection appeared faintly — fragmented, unstable, like a cracked mirror reflecting infinite versions of her face. Her voice layered through static:
"Two paths diverge beneath the Architect's chains…"
"…only one leads to freedom."
"…but the Divergent cannot walk it alone."
Catalyst's eyes narrowed faintly.
"…She's not talking about you."
Kai tightened his grip on his spear, golden threads spiraling faintly around his wrists.
"She's talking about both of us."
Lyra's projection shattered into static, but one final fragment burned into Kai's HUD:
[Branch-Nova Key Required.]
[Volume 12 Closing Scene]
The Executors regrouped, OmniSpears glowing crimson-hot, Omni-God's voice thundering above the collapsing Rift:
[Directive Update:]
Divergent Kai Veyren's Tier-Sigma unsustainable.
Catalyst Kai's Erevos Bloom stabilized.
Deploying Primordial Executor.
A shadow descended from the upper layers of the Divide, so massive it blotted out the gold and violet light. Kai's Adaptive Luck failed instantly just reading its signature.
Catalyst's expression sharpened faintly.
"…That's not an Executor."
Kai spun his spear, exhaling slowly.
"Doesn't matter what it is."
The silhouette opened its wings of fractured glass, light bending violently around it.
Omni-God's voice dropped to a whisper:
[Primordial Ascendant — Codename: Obelisk.]
"Survive, Divergent… if you