OMNI VERSE – EPISODE 17
"
Time itself bent as the Warriors returned to the Time Universe. The familiar distortion wrapped around their bodies, light folding inward like a closing eye. In the next heartbeat, they stood once more within the vast temporal chamber—floating clocks, fractured hourglasses, and streams of glowing seconds flowing endlessly through the air.
Someone was already waiting.
Joro Muhtar stood at the center of the hall, arms crossed behind his back, his expression unusually serious. The hum of time energy around him felt… tense.
"You're late," Joro said calmly.
Luka stepped forward. "We had an incident in the Animal Universe."
Joro's eyes narrowed slightly. "I know."
The Warriors exchanged confused glances.
"You were chasing someone," Joro continued. "A man who watched you. Ran from you."
Luvo stiffened. "You know about that?"
Joro raised a hand. "Not just know." He paused, then spoke the words that shattered the air itself.
"That man was Ludos."
Silence.
No one moved. No one breathed.
"…What?" Jamie whispered.
"That's impossible," Stardust said immediately. "We would've felt him."
Pugo's eyes darkened. "I touched him. I sensed nothing."
Joro reached into his cloak and pulled out a thin sheet of glowing paper—its surface alive with flowing symbols.
"Energy Paper," he said. "It records truth bound to time."
He flicked his wrist.
The paper expanded into the air, unfolding like a window. The moment replayed—the narrow street, Pugo's hand touching the man's shoulder, the brief exchange.
The figure turned.
At first, it looked normal.
Then the image darkened.
The man's outline twisted. Shadows bled outward, devouring color, devouring light. The paper began to tremble violently as the image turned completely black—pitch darkness swallowing everything.
The paper burned itself out.
Ash drifted to the floor.
"…It turned black," Lino murmured.
"That only happens," Joro said quietly, "when time itself refuses to show the truth."
No one spoke.
Slowly, realization settled in.
"That fear," Pugo said. "For a split second…"
"He recognized you," Joro finished. "Walker."
The Warriors stood frozen, shock rippling through them like a delayed explosion.
"So… Ludos was standing right in front of us," Mariana whispered.
"And we let him walk away," Luvo said bitterly.
Joro turned, his voice firm. "Enough. Panic won't help you now."
He faced them fully. "I have a mission for you."
Everyone straightened.
"The Star Universe," Joro said. "You will go there and retrieve a star."
"…A star?" Luka repeated.
Stardust's eyes exploded with excitement. "WAIT—THE STAR UNIVERSE?!"
"Yes," Joro replied, unfazed. "An actual living star fragment."
The room filled with disbelief.
"That's insane," Leonardos said. "Stars aren't—"
"I'm serious," Joro cut in. "Ludos is moving. And whatever he's planning, this star matters."
Luka nodded slowly. "Nothing bad will happen," he said with calm certainty. "We'll bring it back."
And so, without further delay, the Warriors departed.
The Star Universe unfolded before them like a dream.
Planets shimmered with crystalline rings. Stars burned in colors that shouldn't exist—violet, emerald, gold. Nebulae danced like living oceans.
"…This is beautiful," Mariana breathed.
Jamie stared, speechless.
Stardust looked like he might cry. "I'm home."
They landed on a radiant planet, its surface glowing softly beneath their feet. Villages built from starlight reflected the sky above.
Stardust rushed ahead. "THIS WAY! You HAVE to see the twin aurora fields!"
He dragged them across glowing plains, laughing, pointing at everything, overflowing with joy.
For a moment… it felt peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Far away, darkness moved.
Ludos stood within the void between stars, his eyes burning with fury.
"They will not reach it," he hissed.
From shadow and hatred, he forged a creature—towering, elongated, with claws stretching nine meters long. Its body slithered like a nightmare given form.
He sent it forward.
The villages never saw it coming.
Buildings were torn apart in silence. Streets shredded. Panic spread as massive claws carved through light and stone alike.
When the Warriors arrived at the village's center, destruction greeted them.
"…This wasn't here before," Luka said sharply.
The ground trembled.
Stardust froze. "That presence…"
A scream echoed.
"There!" Luka shouted. He stepped forward instinctively, arms wide. "Everyone behind me!"
The monster emerged—its claws slicing through the air.
Before it could strike—
A blur.
Solom moved like the wind itself, slamming into the creature with overwhelming force. The impact shattered the ground.
The monster staggered.
Solom stood calmly. "You're slow."
The beast roared and lashed out wildly, claws slicing through buildings. Structures collapsed. Energy flared.
Leonardos, Jamie, and Lino—still exhausted—had fallen asleep during the flight.
"OF COURSE they're sleeping," Mariana yelled.
Pugo and Stardust charged together.
Stardust leapt—only to be swatted aside, spinning comically into a pile of glowing rubble.
"OKAY—NOT MY BEST MOMENT," he groaned.
Pugo pressed forward, techniques flashing, time bending with each strike.
Luvo joined, blade flashing, ninja stars tearing through the monster's claws. Half of them shattered, clattering to the ground.
The fight dragged on.
Everyone was slowing.
The monster reared back, claws spreading wide.
"It's going for the village!" Luka shouted.
The creature lunged.
Villagers fled as half the settlement was torn apart.
Pugo stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Gorgeous Time Technique."
Time warped violently. The world shimmered as Pugo struck, energy crashing into the beast.
It screamed—but didn't fall.
The monster gathered its remaining claws, preparing a final annihilating blow.
Luka's eyes sharpened.
"…Enough."
He slammed his sword into the ground.
"Earth Technique."
The land erupted. Massive explosive stones surged upward, orbiting his blade.
Luka swung.
The stones launched forward like a storm of meteors.
Impact.
Explosion.
Light swallowed everything.
When the dust settled—nothing remained of the monster.
The village… still stood.
Silence.
Then cheers.
Luka lowered his sword, breathing steadily.
"You saved us," a villager whispered.
Stardust, Pugo, and Luvo stared at him.
"…You one-shot it," Stardust said.
"That thing was a nightmare," Luvo added.
Pugo smiled faintly. "Impressive."
Luka looked away slightly. "I just did what I had to."
Far away, Ludos clenched his fists.
"…Next time," he growled. "I will succeed."
Later, aboard the ship.
Leonardos, Jamie, and Lino were still asleep.
Mariana stared at them. "…How."
She shook them violently.
They jolted awake.
"…Did we miss something?" Jamie asked.
Stardust crossed his arms. "ONLY THE PART WHERE EVERYTHING EXPLODED."
Laughter filled the ship as it vanished into the stars.
The laughter slowly faded as the ship drifted silently through the Star Universe. Outside the viewing window, stars pulsed gently, their light breathing like living hearts. For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Pugo stood near the glass, his eyes narrowed in thought. "That monster wasn't meant to win," he said quietly. "It was meant to test us."
Stardust tilted his head. "Test us how?"
"To see how fast we would respond," Pugo replied. "And how much power we would reveal."
Luvo crossed his arms. "Ludos is measuring us."
Solom looked back toward the fading planet. "And next time, he'll adjust."
A faint vibration passed through the ship. Not an alarm—something deeper. The lights dimmed for a split second, then returned to normal.
Mariana frowned. "Did anyone else feel that?"
Luka nodded slowly. "The Star Universe is reacting."
Outside, far beyond their reach, a distant star flickered unnaturally—its light briefly bending inward before stabilizing again.
Pugo's expression hardened. "The fragment Joro wants… it's not just energy."
Stardust swallowed. "It's alive, isn't it?"
"Yes," Luka said. "And if Ludos reaches it first—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
The ship accelerated, vanishing into a corridor of light as the stars stretched into endless lines. Behind them, unseen and unheard, the fabric of space twisted slightly—like a chessboard being reset for the next move.
Somewhere beyond time, Ludos smiled.
END OF EPISODE 17