The blinding white light of the Sun God's Katana slowly receded, leaving spots in everyone's vision. In the center of the molten glass arena, two hands gripped the hilt.
Knowledge floated down, his bronze monocle glowing as he reviewed the "Temporal Gears" of the moment. "Hark! The heavens have watched, and the clock hath spoken! Though both warriors showed valor beyond measure, the law of time is absolute!"
He pointed a thin, mechanical finger at Kaito. "Kaito, thine hand didst graze the hilt but a fraction of a heartbeat—a mere millisecond—before the Orphan's!"
Kaito let out a roar of triumph, his ego swelling like a supernova. "I knew it! Perfection cannot be overtaken by a peasant!"
Kanetaro sighed, though secretly he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Well, at least I'm not a god. Now, where's that grease vat? I hope it's lavender-scented.
Knowledge ignored Kanetaro's internal panic and raised his staff.
"The Duel of Divinities is concluded! Kaito, rise as the New Sun God, bringer of the morning! Daniel, thou who art calm as the midnight tide, rise as the New Moon God!"
Daniel tipped his hat, his golden claw sparking. "I can work with the night shift," he drawled.
Knowledge then turned to Riya. "And the maiden of the serpent-steel, Riya, thy path lies with the wild. Thou art summoned to the deep groves for training under Mother Nature herself!"
Before Kanetaro could even say goodbye, a vine-covered portal opened beneath Riya's feet. She gave Kanetaro one last sharp look—half-respect, half-challenge—and vanished.
"Wait, wait!" Kanetaro stepped forward. "What about me? And the grease? You said I'd be engine oil if I lost!"
Knowledge let out a dry, Elizabethan chuckle. "Oh, young Kanetaro. Thou art truly a jester. Didst thou think I would waste such strength on a squeaky hinge? Nay. For thou didst touch the sword as well, and thy soul is bound to something far greater."
Knowledge's voice grew deep, shaking the very foundations of the arena. "Kanetaro, I declare thee the Sky God! Ruler of the high blue, master of both the blinding Light and the creeping Darkness. Thou art the balance. Thou art the Ruler of the Heavens!"
"Ruler?" Kanetaro's jaw hit the sand. "Whoa, whoa. I was aiming for 'unemployed.' I don't want to rule! I can barely keep my own room clean!"
"Too late, Majesty," Knowledge smirked. "The Spark awaits."
With a snap of his fingers, they were teleported to the Sky Realm—a place of infinite clouds and floating islands of crystal. In the center hovered the Origin Sparks: spheres of pure, sentient energy.
One by one, the Sparks flew. A golden one fused with Kaito. A silver one with Daniel. But a brilliant, emerald-green Spark—the Nature Spark—suddenly shied away, darting through the clouds and vanishing toward where Riya had been sent.
Then, the largest Spark of all—a swirling vortex of white and black—slammed into Kanetaro's chest.
Kanetaro felt a surge of energy that made his previous strength feel like a flickering candle. His rags transformed into regal, midnight-blue samurai armor that shimmered like the stars.
"I feel... like I could punch a hole through reality," Kanetaro muttered, looking at his glowing hands. "Which is cool, but also deeply concerning."
"Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, 'Your Majesty,'" Kaito sneered, his own golden armor blindingly bright. "Because even as a king, you're still just—"
Kaito's insult was cut short by a sound that shouldn't exist in heaven—the sound of a billion wings.
The golden sky of the Sun God's domain didn't just turn dark; it turned rotten. From the edges of the horizon, a swarm of crores of Narasytes—millions upon millions—spilled out of a tear in reality. These weren't the mindless beasts Kanetaro had fought in the cottage. They were High-Grades, clad in black chitinous armor, carrying spears made of void-matter.
The sky was blotted out. The "crores" of demons formed a swirling hurricane of teeth and claws.
In the center of the swarm, a figure emerged. He was ten feet tall, with wings made of shadow and eyes like dying stars. He leveled a black blade at the newly crowned gods.
"The Heavens have grown weak with their games," the Leader's voice echoed, a sound of grinding bone. "You crown children while the Void hungers. The Duel of Divinities is over. The War of Extinction begins now."
Kanetaro gripped the hilt of his new Sky-Katana, his new and refined six sense screaming loud enough to burst his eardrums. "Well," he whispered to himself, "I guess the vacation is officially over."