Renku stood in the middle of the ruined avenue, his glowing blue eyes fixed on Valak. The energy surrounding his body continued to pulse, sending waves of blue light across the destroyed capital. Above him, Valak hovered effortlessly, a faint smile spreading across his face as he looked down at the newly awakened Orion.
Nearby, Andreia and Zether struggled to remain conscious. Both were severely injured, their bodies barely able to move after their earlier battle. Zether attempted to lift his head, coughing up blood as he tried to speak. Andreia reached out beside him, but the words she wanted to say never came. Their strength had been exhausted, leaving them helpless as they watched Renku face the being responsible for the destruction around them.
In the next instant, Renku disappeared. Before Valak could react, Renku had appeared directly in front of him. His arm pulled back as he threw a punch toward Valak's face. However, the movement seemed unusually slow, almost as though time itself had begun to stretch around his fist. Valak tilted his head slightly, watching the incoming attack before casually moving aside. Renku's fist passed harmlessly beside him, or so he thought.
A sudden impact struck Valak directly across the face. His head snapped to the side as an immense force sent him flying backward through the air. Valak quickly regained control of his body, stopping himself before he could be carried any farther. A thin trail of blood escaped his mouth as he wiped it away, his expression shifting from amusement to confusion. He looked back toward Renku, trying to understand how the attack had reached him when he had clearly avoided the punch.
Renku moved again, but this time Valak paid much closer attention to his movements. He studied every small detail, from the contractions of Renku's muscles to the distortions in space surrounding him and the flow of energy throughout his body. As Renku approached, he pulled his fist back once again. Valak didn't move, instead he prepared to block this attack. Renku threw his fist towards Valak at tremendous speeds, but it was met with Valak's defense.
Valak caught the punch and smiled. However, once again an unknown attack landed on Valak's cheek. He let go of Renku's fist as he stumbled back while in the air. Zether and Andreia were both shocked. They had spent what seemed like hours trying to damage Valak, yet Renku delivered two blows in the matter of seconds.
For a brief moment, Valak remained silent. Then the realization struck him. The punch he had dodged wasn't the same punch that had hit him. Renku's attack had originated from a higher dimension, allowing its force to reach Valak from a direction that existed beyond the reality he was currently occupying. What Valak had seen was only one part of the attack. The actual impact had come from somewhere his perception had not accounted for.
A smile slowly returned to Valak's face. "Seems I have underestimated you."
Red energy began to swell around Valak once again as he prepared himself for the next clash. Renku also matched him and raised his blue energy. Before either Orion could say another word, they disappeared.
Their bodies collided in an instant, producing a shockwave that spread across the surrounding reality. Renku drove a series of punches toward Valak, each strike carrying enough force to tear through the space around them. Valak responded with a barrage of counterattacks, sending blows toward Renku from every opening he could find. Renku blocked them with his forearms, redirected others with precise parries, and shifted his body to avoid the remaining strikes. Neither Orion allowed the other a moment to recover.
Their movements had become so fast that they were no longer confined to the present. As they continued exchanging attacks, time itself began to elapse around them. One moment, their battle unfolded in a future where entire civilizations had risen and fallen. The next, they were fighting in a distant past, surrounded by worlds that had existed long before the birth of countless species. Their movements carried them from one period to another, each collision sending them through different moments in the history of existence.
For those who witnessed them, the sight was incomprehensible. Species that had gone extinct ages ago suddenly found themselves beneath the shadow of two beings clashing across the heavens. Others, belonging to civilizations that had yet to be born, looked upward as the battle appeared in their skies. Some witnessed only a brief flash of blue and red before the two Orions vanished again, while others saw the aftermath of their attacks tearing through the surrounding environment.
Yet for Renku and Valak, these transitions were barely noticeable. They continued fighting without interruption, their attention fixed entirely on one another. Every punch, kick, block, and counterattack carried them into another moment, leaving the passage of time behind as they fought. To the rest of existence, only a fraction of a second had passed. For the two Orions, the battle had already felt like an hour.
The battle continued as Valak suddenly shifted his momentum, driving a powerful strike into Renku's body. The impact sent the Orion hurtling downward, crashing into the surface of an ancient world. He tore through several enormous stone statues before finally coming to a stop among the ruins. Pieces of stone scattered across the ground as dust filled the surrounding area.
Before Renku could recover, a flash of crimson descended from the sky. Valak came flying toward him, his red aura illuminating the ruins as Renku quickly rose to meet him. Their fists collided, releasing an enormous burst of blue and red energy that spread across the ancient landscape. The ground beneath them began to fracture as both Orions continued pushing against one another, neither willing to give an inch.
"Are you willing to kill these innocent beings?" Valak asked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Renku gritted his teeth as he increased his energy output, forcing Valak backward. The blue aura surrounding his body intensified, pushing against the crimson energy that threatened to overwhelm him.
"That's the spirit!" Valak exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Let it all out!"
Valak released another surge of Chaos energy. The space surrounding them began to crack, with fractures spreading through the air like shattered glass. Above them, the skies started to break apart as the fabric of reality struggled to withstand the immense power being unleashed. The surrounding landscape began to distort, and the ancient beings who inhabited the world found themselves caught in the effects of the destruction. Some appeared to stretch and twist unnaturally, while others began to fracture as though their very existence was coming apart.
Renku's eyes widened as he noticed what was happening. Their battle was no longer threatening just the world around them. The very reality sustaining its inhabitants was beginning to collapse. He looked toward the beings caught within the destruction, realizing that continuing to exchange attacks would put every one of them in danger.
Valak noticed his hesitation and pressed forward, sending another powerful blow toward him. Renku saw the incoming attack but made no attempt to block it. Instead, he allowed Valak's fist to connect directly with his body.
The impact drove the air from Renku's lungs, leaving him momentarily unable to breathe. His body recoiled from the force, but he remained close enough to Valak to launch a counterattack. Valak's expression changed as he realized Renku had deliberately taken the hit.
"But why—"
Before he could finish, Renku drove an uppercut directly into Valak's jaw. The sudden impact sent Valak flying upward, his body cutting through the air toward the fractured sky. Renku immediately followed, accelerating after him before tackling him through the enormous crack that had formed above them.
As the two Orions disappeared beyond the shattered sky, Renku turned his attention toward the world they had left behind. He extended his hand and released a concentrated beam of blue energy downward. The beam spread across the fractures in reality, gradually stabilizing the damaged space and preventing the destruction from spreading any further. Only after ensuring the ancient world was no longer in immediate danger did Renku turn back toward Valak.
Their battle had moved beyond the boundaries of that reality. Renku emerged from the fractured sky, his body passing through the dimensional boundary before coming to a halt. He looked around, trying to understand the realm they had entered. The familiar structure of the universe was gone. There was no ground beneath his feet, no horizon in the distance, and no true sense of direction. Instead, an endless expanse stretched in every direction, filled with enormous geometric structures and layers of translucent space that overlapped one another. Countless luminous pathways twisted through the realm, intersecting and separating as though multiple realities were occupying the same space. In the distance, enormous shapes floated silently, their surfaces shifting between forms that seemed impossible to comprehend from within a lower dimension. Streams of energy moved throughout the realm like rivers of light, bending around structures that appeared to exist in several places at once.
Renku realized they were no longer within the third-dimensional realm. Their battle had carried them into a transcended dimension, one that existed beyond the ordinary limitations of space.
Valak appeared nearby, his crimson aura illuminating the surrounding expanse. He looked around with an expression of satisfaction before turning his attention toward Renku.
"Our power far exceeds that of the mortal realm. Even this fourth-dimensional realm will tremble before us. Can't you see that we are Gods among mortals? We were never meant to take orders from those who are below us. We can remake the entire multiverse into whatever we want it to be," Valak stated.
Renku stared at him, his blue energy continuing to radiate from his body. "Committing genocide is never the answer. Innocent lives deserve the chance to live."
"Innocent?" Valak repeated, his expression becoming more serious. "Those mortals destroy planets through their desires for power. From the moment they are born, they are destined to pollute the universes."
"You can't judge them before they even have the chance. It's not too late, Valak. We can end this now," Renku replied.
Valak remained silent for a moment, studying Renku before a faint smile returned to his face. "You are right about one thing. We can end this now."
In the next instant, Valak disappeared. His speed had increased once again, leaving behind an afterimage of crimson energy where he had been standing. Before Renku could fully react, Valak appeared beside him and drove a powerful kick across his face. The impact sent Renku flying through the fourth-dimensional realm, his body cutting through the luminous structures as waves of blue and red energy spread across the surrounding space.
Renku managed to regain control of his body, stopping himself before he could be carried any farther. However, before he could fully recover, Valak was already standing directly in front of him. He pulled back his fist, preparing another strike, but this time his arm was surrounded by concentrated Chaos energy. Renku quickly reacted, summoning his Chains of Hope. The glowing blue chains emerged around him before wrapping themselves around Valak's arm, stopping his punch just before it could connect.
Renku immediately sent a surge of blue energy running through the chains. The energy traveled along their length like electricity, spreading across Valak's arm before consuming his entire body in a brilliant blue current. For a moment, Valak appeared trapped within the electrical surge. However, he remained completely composed. Focusing his energy, he released a wave of dark red Chaos energy that spread across his body. The moment it came into contact with the chains, their metallic surfaces began to deteriorate. The blue energy running through them faded as the chains rapidly turned to rust before crumbling into dust.
Valak casually lowered his arm before clicking his fingers. Red Chaos energy began to stir in four separate points surrounding Renku. The fourth dimension shook as figures started to form from the red energy.
Four versions of Valak appeared around Renku. Each one carried the same crimson aura, surrounding him from every direction. Before Renku could determine how Valak's energy had taken shape around him, all four manifestations raised their hands and began gathering red energy into enormous spheres. The energy continued to concentrate, growing brighter as the four Valaks prepared to unleash their attacks.
Realizing he had nowhere to escape, Renku quickly summoned his energy barrier. A massive blue sphere formed around him, enclosing his body just as the four Valaks released their attacks. Four enormous beams of crimson energy collided with the barrier, forcing Renku to brace himself against the overwhelming pressure. The impact caused the entire dimension to tremble.
Renku struggled to maintain the barrier as he poured more energy into it than he had originally intended. His blue aura intensified, but the four beams continued pressing against the barrier, threatening to break through its surface. The Valaks began laughing as they increased the output of their attacks, pouring even more Chaos energy into the beams.
Cracks began spreading throughout the fourth-dimensional realm. The surrounding structures fractured, and the luminous pathways that stretched across the dimension began breaking apart. The very space surrounding them was collapsing under the pressure of their combined power.
Renku continued resisting, but the strain was becoming unbearable. The barrier began to fracture as the crimson beams pushed deeper into its surface. The four Valaks laughed even louder, seemingly enjoying the struggle as they continued increasing their output. Then, just as all hope seemed lost, Renku released an enormous burst of energy.
A brilliant blue light erupted from his body, expanding in every direction. The sudden release overwhelmed the incoming beams and swallowed the four Valaks in its radiance. The entire fourth-dimensional realm began collapsing as the blue energy spread throughout its structure, tearing apart everything within it. In a matter of moments, the dimension was completely destroyed. But the destruction didn't stop there.
The immense release of energy continued spreading beyond the shattered realm, reaching the next transcended dimension and destroying it almost instantly. The shockwave continued climbing through the dimensional structure, overwhelming each successive realm it encountered. Dimensions that had existed beyond the reach of ordinary existence were torn apart one after another.
By the time the energy finally began to subside, every transcended dimension below the seventh had been destroyed.
Meanwhile, In the Realm of Fate.
Aevor watched carefully as the battle between Renku and Valak continued. The energy released by the two Orions had torn through every transcended dimension below the seventh, leaving the dimensional structure in ruins. Even now, the effects of their clash continued to ripple through existence, threatening to spread beyond what either of them could control.
His expression grew increasingly concerned. He had known that Renku's awakening would grant him immense power, but he had not anticipated that his battle with Valak would cause such devastation. If the two continued fighting without restraint, there was no telling how far the destruction would spread.
Aevor turned away from the unfolding battle and opened a passage into the Realm of the Gods. Stepping through, he emerged into the vast divine chamber, where the Goddess of Creation sat comfortably upon her throne. Lynassa had been watching the events unfold through a projection of the battle, her attention fixed on the two Orions as they continued their clash.
Aevor approached her, his expression showing little patience.
"How can you just sit there and watch while dimensions and the fabric of reality are destroyed?"
Lynassa turned her attention toward her brother before letting out a quiet laugh. She leaned back against her throne, seemingly amused by his frustration.
"Do you know how long it has been since I've been this entertained?"
"Entertained?" Aevor repeated, unable to hide his disbelief. "Are you serious right now? The entire collapse of reality is upon us, and you want to talk about entertainment?"
Lynassa gave a dismissive wave of her hand, returning her gaze to the projection.
"Oh, brother. We are Gods. They serve us as entertainment. That is all."
Aevor stared at her for a moment, clearly disappointed by her response. He turned his attention toward the unfolding battle and slowly raised his hand. Closing his eyes, he began to channel his power. An orange sigil appeared before him, its intricate markings spreading outward as the surrounding space began to respond.
The sigil pulsed with light, and the damaged dimensional structure began to shift. Fragments of the destroyed realms were drawn back into place as Aevor restructured the dimensions that had been lost. Within moments, the surrounding fabric of reality had been restored.
Once the process was complete, Aevor lowered his hand and turned back toward his sister.
"We must stop Valak now before everything is destroyed."
Lynassa barely acknowledged his words. She continued watching the battle, showing no concern for what had just occurred.
"He is no threat to us."
Aevor's expression hardened. He looked at his sister, struggling to understand how she could remain so indifferent to the danger unfolding before them.
"You truly underestimate what you have created. It will cost us everything."
Lynassa let out another quiet laugh, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
"Sure, brother. Don't you have some fate stuff to attend to?"
For a moment, Aevor remained where he stood. His eyes lingered on Lynassa, disappointment written across his face. He had come hoping she would recognize the seriousness of the situation, perhaps even agree that something needed to be done. Instead, he had found her more interested in watching the battle than preventing its consequences.
Without another word, Aevor turned away. An orange sigil appeared beneath his feet, opening a passage through which he departed the Realm of the Gods.
Lynassa returned her attention to the projection, watching as Renku and Valak continued their battle. The Goddess of Creation remained seated upon her throne, completely unconcerned by her brother's warning.
The seventh dimension was unlike anything that existed beneath it. It was not a world, nor was it a conventional realm of space. It was the foundation upon which the lower dimensions were built, a place where the very principles governing existence could be seen taking shape.
There was no sky, no ground, and no horizon. Instead, an endless expanse stretched in every direction, filled with enormous structures that resembled interlocking frameworks of light. They extended beyond sight, forming patterns that constantly shifted and rearranged themselves. Some appeared as vast crystalline planes, while others resembled twisting corridors of energy that folded into themselves before emerging somewhere entirely different. Within these structures, streams of light moved along invisible paths, each carrying traces of the realities connected to them.
Time itself was visible here. Moments appeared as overlapping layers, with events from the past and present existing side by side. Renku could see fragments of their battle repeating in the distance, while other moments seemed to stretch endlessly before collapsing into nothing. Even the concept of direction had become meaningless. Moving forward did not always bring him closer to Valak, and the space between them could change without either of them moving.
The seventh dimension was not simply enduring their power. It was actively trying to preserve the structure of existence around them. Yet the force released by the two Orions was beginning to overwhelm it. The enormous frameworks trembled, and the streams of energy running through them started to break apart.
Renku steadied himself, his blue aura burning brighter as he focused on Valak. He had already managed to strike him with attacks originating from higher dimensions, and he intended to do so again. As Valak approached, Renku shifted his position and launched another strike, sending the attack through a higher-dimensional plane.
This time, Valak was ready. He followed Renku's physical movement, allowing the initial strike to pass by his body. A split second later, he sensed the surge of energy approaching from his left and tilted his head just enough to avoid the higher-dimensional attack. The attack passed through the space where he had been standing, disappearing into the distance without making contact. Before Renku could follow up, Valak raised his hand and opened a crimson portal beside him.
A punch emerged from the portal at Renku's side, catching him across the ribs. The force sent him twisting through the air, but Valak was already opening another portal. A second strike came from above, followed by a kick that emerged behind Renku and drove him forward. Each attack came from a different direction, with Valak using the portals to strike from angles Renku could barely anticipate.
Renku tried to counter, but every time he moved to defend himself, another portal opened nearby. Valak's attacks were no longer travelling through the space between them. They were appearing exactly where he wanted them to land.
A heavy kick struck Renku across the chest, sending him crashing through one of the enormous geometric structures. The structure shattered into fragments of light, which scattered across the dimension before fading away. Renku pushed himself upright, his blue energy flaring as he tried to regain control of the fight.
Valak emerged from a portal directly in front of him. Renku raised his arms to block, but Valak's fist struck with enough force to send him skidding backwards through the realm. Before Renku could recover, another portal opened beneath him. Valak's foot emerged and struck him upwards, launching him towards the upper reaches of the dimension.
The seventh dimension began to tremble as the frameworks that held its structure together started to fracture. Streams of light broke apart, and the overlapping moments scattered as the boundaries between them collapsed. Vast sections of the realm began folding in on themselves, unable to withstand the power being unleashed within them.
Valak's crimson aura expanded, spreading through the surrounding space as he prepared another attack. Renku's blue energy answered, growing brighter as he gathered power of his own. Neither of them backed down.
Their energies collided, releasing a shockwave that spread across the seventh dimension. The remaining structures began to collapse, and enormous fractures tore through the foundations of the realm. Beyond those fractures, there was no eighth dimension waiting for them. There was something entirely different.
The seventh dimension finally gave way. Renku and Valak were thrown beyond its boundaries, leaving the collapsing realm behind as they entered the Void of Timelines.
As Renku and Valak emerged from the collapsing seventh dimension, they found themselves surrounded by an endless cosmic void. Neither Orion immediately moved. Before them stretched an expanse unlike anything they had encountered, filled with vast clouds of deep purple that drifted endlessly through the darkness. Flashes of blue electricity coursed through the clouds, illuminating the surrounding void with brief bursts of light. There was no ground beneath them or sky above, only an infinite space that seemed to extend beyond the limits of existence itself.
Scattered throughout the void were countless streams of light, each flowing through the darkness along its own path. Some stretched across immense distances, while others branched into countless smaller streams before merging into new directions. Every one of them represented a different timeline, carrying its own sequence of events and possibilities. Entire histories unfolded within these streams, with civilizations rising and falling, worlds being created and destroyed, and countless lives following paths unique to their existence.
Renku slowly turned his head, taking in the sheer scale of what surrounded them. Even after everything they had witnessed and destroyed, the sight before him left him momentarily speechless. Valak also remained still, his crimson aura flickering against the purple clouds as he observed the countless timelines stretching into the distance.
"What is this place?" Renku asked, his voice quieter than before.
Valak glanced around, his eyes following the endless streams of light. "The Void of Timelines."
His attention shifted towards the countless possibilities surrounding them. Each timeline represented a different path existence could take, branching into possibilities that extended far beyond what either Orion could comprehend.
Renku continued looking through the void until something caught his attention. Among the countless timelines, one was noticeably smaller than the rest. Its stream of light appeared faint and incomplete, extending only a short distance before coming to an abrupt end. Unlike the others, it had no visible branches leading into the future. Its history remained intact, but beyond its present point, there was nothing. Renku stared at it, slowly realizing what he was looking at.
"That's our timeline," he said.
Valak turned towards the smaller stream, examining it carefully. "It seems our future has already been decided."
"No," Renku replied, his eyes fixed on the timeline. "It hasn't been decided. It has been taken from us."
The Fate Breaker.
The realization settled over him as he considered what the absence of a future meant. Their timeline had not simply reached its end. Something had prevented it from continuing, leaving every possibility beyond their present moment unwritten.
For a moment, neither Orion spoke. They floated silently within the endless void, surrounded by countless possibilities while their own existence remained suspended at the edge of an unknown future.
Renku slowly extended his hand towards the smaller stream. His blue eyes reflected the faint light radiating from it as he moved closer, almost as though he could feel the history contained within its flow. The timeline continued to glow softly, its unfinished path stretching just beyond his fingertips. He reached out, preparing to touch it. Then in the next moment everything went white.
End of Chapter 33