After receiving Baryon's baryon blow, Arias felt as though his body had been completely crushed. As he fell into the darkness, he began moving his hands and managed to stop in place. Baryon caught up to him and said, "What is the deal with this kid? How did he endure all of that? I can't believe his body is completely shattered and he is still resisting."
In the First World, Nahira was sitting in her new palace in front of a large screen, saying, "Oh god, I can't believe the fight has reached this extent."
Outside, Dazai arrived at the palace late at night. Upon arrival, he began inspecting the area, looking around in surprise that there was no guard or anyone watching over the palace. He thought it might be a trap, but he took his precautions to escape if that proved to be true. Dazai entered the palace courtyard and found no one. He went inside and began sneaking through the corridors, looking for his sister, but he couldn't find her. While walking, he reached a huge hall emitting an intense light. When he approached, he hid behind a door, trying to see what was inside.
Nahira said, "You at the door, please come in. Don't be shy."
Dazai was shocked by what he heard, but he entered anyway. Walking forward, he found her sitting on her throne, saying, "Welcome. I didn't expect guests right now because I'm still furnishing this castle, but it's good to have someone other than me here."
Dazai said, "Where is my sister?"
Nahira replied, "Pardon me, I don't understand what you mean."
He said, "My words are clear. There is no need to play dumb."
Nahira said, "Yes, I know you are too smart to fall for a cheap trick, but let me ask you a question: isn't it appropriate to visit a lonely girl like this without bringing a gift?"
Dazai said, "My gift to you is letting you stay alive, provided my sister is safe and standing in front of me right now."
Nahira laughed and said, "Wonders never cease. You really are a serious person. I heard you have a good sense of humor, Mr. Dazai, but do you love your sister this much?"
Dazai said, "That's only natural. Now, with all due respect, hand over my sister, let's forget everything that's happening, and I'll forget what you've done."
Nahira laughed and said, "Forget? What do you say I make you forget the day your mother gave birth to you?"
Nahira lunged at Dazai, who blocked her strike. However, when he tried to counter-attack, he was shocked as she struck him right in the chest, sending him crashing hard into the wall.
Nahira said, "This is good. I requested those pillars specifically so they wouldn't shatter if I threw someone into them. It seems you'll make a good test subject."
Dazai tried to stand up, but Nahira stepped in front of him, planted her foot on his head, and drove it into the ground, saying, "What a disgrace to be one of the Five Mighty. A title not deserved by its bearer."
Dazai said, "Are you going to kill me to become one of them?"
Nahira said, "I don't care about these titles. I am stronger than all five fools, but it doesn't hurt to amuse myself with them a little bit. And now, tell me, my dear, what would you like us to do with your sister right now? Would you like us to pluck her fingers, cut her teeth, or shall we grant her an overdose of explosive energy that will shatter her veins?"
Dazai said, "Stop!" He tried to stand, but she sat right on top of him, rendering him unable to rise. He thought, Damn it, why is she so heavy? I feel like the whole universe is on top of me. Get away from me, you bitch.
She told him, "Calm down. How about I show you your sister while we're here?"
Then, a screen appeared showing Izola in a pathetic state—crying, screaming, and looking pale.
Nahira said, "Over the last 40 hours, your beautiful sister has been subjected to every kind of psychological and physical torture imaginable, overseen by experts in the arts of torture. But what I will tell you is that we haven't yet severed any part of her body, like teeth, nails, or anything similar. The strangest thing—do you know what it is?—is that she didn't confess the true identity of her husband until I figured it out myself. Yet, she was a disappointment because she abandoned you for her husband; I gave her the choice between you and him, and she chose her husband over you. Believe me, she refused to admit who her husband was, but she did confess that her only brother's sole weakness is that he becomes a mere insect at night—that your power vanishes at night. That is what made my mission to defeat you so easy. Thank you, Izola. Now, Dazai, enjoy my reward for your sister: either watch her tortured to death, or watch your sister's husband die at Baryon's hands."
Dazai was shocked. He looked at the other screen and was startled to see a battered Arias with a much stronger Baryon standing in front of him.
Baryon said, "You bastard, this is all because of you."
Nahira laughed a little, playing with Dazai's hair, and said, "I was truly surprised when I saw that too. Arias the bastard... Arias is the Black Eye. And now, he has been sparring a bit with what they call the most dangerous creature in existence. Hahaha, I pity his state. But what your beloved sister's husband is hiding from you is that he was an exploitative person; he exploited my sister before your sister, and he still does."
Dazai said, "What do you mean?"
Nahira said, "This Arias, or as you call him, the Black Eye—this bastard is originally the fiancé of my sister. He took her with him a while ago and ran away with her, which means he is probably... hahaha... cheating on your sister with mine."
Dazai clenched his teeth and said, "Shut up, you bitch! You truly don't know his true nature. He might be a bastard, selfish, mean, and cold-blooded, but he is not a traitor. I'm the one who knows him, so stop your cheap games."
Nahira smiled and said, "We'll see about that on the screen."
Arias was laughing despite his pain, saying, "I can't believe I didn't expect to reach this stage."
Blood gushed from Arias's mouth. He wiped the blood from his hand and said in a hoarse, heavy, and sharp voice, "I will kill you."
Baryon clenched his teeth and lunged at Arias, but in a single instant, his body recoiled backward on its own. He muttered, "What just happened?"
Arias screamed with intense wildness, and energy began pouring out of him abundantly. He exploded, and suddenly his energy began to transform from gray to crimson. Arias closed his eyes and screamed intensely, causing the world around them to react. From the sheer magnitude of what happened, everyone on Baryon's side fainted—everyone lost consciousness from the impact.
Arias screamed and screamed and screamed. When he opened his eyes, Baryon was blown far away by the sheer pressure, trying to defend himself as he said in a shocked voice, "What is happening? Where did he get all this power? How did his appearance change like this? What is this?"
Arias's hair and eyes turned a whitish crimson, and his aura became concentrated and flowed smoothly instead of chaotically.
Baryon said, "Rizo the Ruler? Can this bastard use it too? Damn it!"
Arias looked at him with sharp, terrifying gazes, and in the blink of an eye, he merely waved his fist toward Baryon, who was miles away. Just a light wave caused a vortex that shattered reality in that direction like glass breaking under extreme pressure. Baryon was struck by glass projectiles that pierced his skin and threw him far away. Baryon felt an immense pressure crushing his body from just a simple wave.
Dazai was shocked, and Nahira was slightly startled by what happened.
After that, Baryon crashed against a wall and stuck to it. Appearing right before him was a bruised Arias with glowing, sharp crimson eyes, grabbing Baryon's head with his hand and beginning to squeeze. The bones of Baryon's skull began to crack and fracture, and he started screaming from the ordeal. His screams were terrifying, and Arias's look was even more terrifying. Afterward, Baryon was tossed away like garbage.
Arias vanished from his spot, charged a modest amount of energy in the palm of his hand, and launched it toward the incoming Baryon. Baryon took the hit, and it sent him flying backward. The explosion vaporized the very space where the erased universes once stood, turning it into a distorted landscape of spacetime cracks and darkness everywhere.
Baryon got up with difficulty, panting as blood trickled from his mouth, looking at his exhausted face and his heavily bleeding body. He said with difficulty, "Damn it, I didn't calculate for this. I didn't expect things to turn out this way. I can't believe he reached a level like this so quickly. Who on earth is this person? His power exceeded mine by about 600 octillion units. This creature is the hardest thing I've ever faced in my life. I feel happy and uneasy at the same time; I must end him quickly, or things will get worse. Who would have expected me—Baryon, the World-Shaker—to reach this state and suffer before a youth at the beginning of his life? Hahaha... Even the fiercest kings and warriors fell before me like insects in the past, and now a 19-year-old kid comes along and does all this to me. What a disgrace!"
Baryon got up from the ground and remembered a situation from his past:
"Get up! If you stay kneeling like this, even the most cowardly cowards will get the better of you."
"But Dad, my energy is depleted."
"What of it? Even if you reach the brink of death, never die a coward, do you understand?"
"Okay, Dad."
Baryon thought, Why did I remember this now?
Suddenly, he raised his head to see Arias right in front of him, landing a kick to his face that sent him flying backward with great force. His face slammed into the mud. He got up, spat out blood, and remembered another memory:
"Dad, they threw mud at me. I want you to punish them for me."
Baryon's father got up, kicked him down into a puddle of mud, and said, "You scum, didn't you take your right with your own hands? What are you waiting for? Do you want to be like spoiled girls and have me solve your problems? Do it yourself!"
"Understood, Dad."
"Hey, kid, come here," a group of boys called out, approaching him. "You're the boy our friend knocked into the mud yesterday. We want you to do the same thing today in front of our girlfriends so we look cool, since you're big, stupid, and weak."
Baryon stood before them with a harsh look and said, "Who do you think you are, you bitch?" Then he struck one by the tail, grabbed him, drove his head into a mud puddle, and said, "Now, experience it for yourself." Then he grabbed the rest and crushed them all.
Day after day, he began to impose his personality on anyone who crossed his path. No one could stop him—not because he was the son of so-and-so, but because he was Baryon: the man you see and refuse to meet.
Baryon stood up from the ground and said, "Hey, kid, you know what? I just remembered something disgusting. But I realized something: no matter how much you kick me here and there, I will get up to return it. Arrogance cannot let its master escape my will, and you will be one of those whose head I bury in the mud before you realize it."
Arias said, "Disgusting? Are you starting to become wise, filthy Baryon? If you want to make me take a bath, I'll kick you toward a pool of filth so you can wallow in it."
Baryon stood up, tore apart his shattered armor, and said, "I don't need that. Actually, that was my idea—the one I'm going to apply to you."
Dark energy began pouring out of Baryon's body. Arias noticed it, but he didn't seem worried. Suddenly, Baryon's muscles began to bulge further, and his scales grew sharper. His energy shifted to deep purple, and he said, "This is the Ruler's power, kid!"
With unimaginable speed, he slapped Arias across the face—a slap so hard it knocked Arias unconscious.
Arias woke up to find himself in the middle of volcanic lava. He tried to get up, only to find Baryon stepping on his head, pressing down with his foot. Arias grabbed Baryon's leg and squeezed hard enough to break it, but Baryon laughed and said, "And if you break it, what'll happen?"
Arias kicked Baryon's face, breaking several of his teeth. Baryon stumbled back down to the ground.
Arias muttered, "Damn it, his power rose immensely. Numerically, it might have reached 1 nonillion. When will this monster give up? His power increased 100,000 times compared to before. It seems he is hiding more."
However, Baryon stood up, kicked Arias's head, and threw him away. Arias's head crashed into a wall, piercing through it. Baryon flew forward, grabbed Arias's body, flew with him toward a massive star, and squeezed him between his palms. This star was about 70 times larger than the sun. He crushed him between his palms and then hurled him down Arias's throat, which Arias endured with difficulty, causing a massive explosion that burned the entire area and caused total destruction everywhere.
Arias fell far away, crashing into the remnants of massive constellations, and completely lost consciousness.
Baryon laughed and said, "I told you, this is the end of everyone who messes with me. Go to hell, you and everyone who placed their hopes on you! You claim to be a hero? What a disgrace. What heroism have you shown? All you've done is destruction and ruin for these creatures."
Arias got up from his place, laughing tiredly, and said, "A hero? Please, stop this nonsense."
Baryon was shocked by his awakening, thinking he was finally finished.
Arias stood up, barely able to stand, and said, "What kind of hero are you talking about? When did I ever say I was a hero? I only came here to take revenge on you. I don't care about anyone here; everyone here is just a stepping stone for me to reach you. Don't you dare describe me with those stupid, weird labels."
Baryon laughed and said, "I like that. So you really don't mind seeing someone killed in front of you?"
Arias said with a smile, "And what's the objection? Everyone in this place is evil anyway. What's the point of saving them or protecting them as long as they're bad? We're all like this; none of us is righteous. I'm a selfish person looking for my revenge and goals; you're a person obsessed with authority and power; the rest are just scum. Everyone has a goal that harms others. What has this world given me for me to defend it?"
Baryon laughed and said, "Kid, you're really starting to grow on me. Our fight is now nearing 70 hours, and at every moment I discover something new about you. You know, if they offered me a battle against you like this in hell, I'd accept it immediately. Your name is Arias, right? You, kid, are the biggest, worst, dirtiest, and strongest opponent I've faced and met throughout my damned life cycle."
Arias smiled and said, "And you have impressed me too. I thought I was coming here to get rid of you and leave, as happens with any enemy I face. But I truly didn't expect this. All my life I was fighting for others, but what about myself? Why haven't I ever fought for myself? I was looking for the answer to that, and now I've found it. Our fight is the answer. From now on, there is no fighting to protect; there will only be fighting for myself alone."
Baryon smiled and said, "Even though I don't understand the nonsense of saving others, today I realized something: I'm not the villain here. I'm the one trying to protect myself from the real villain, which is you."
Arias looked at him and said, "Come on, coward! Why did you stop hitting me? Are you afraid I'll crush you instead?"
With that, Baryon rushed forward and punched Arias, and Arias punched him back at the same time, sending both of them flying away from the force of the blow.
Nahira said from behind the screen, "Oh god," without any smile at all. "Arias, you lunatic! So you've revealed your true nature to us. What do you think, Mr. Polar Eye?"
Dazai said, "So he was tricking me the whole time."
Nahira said, "Yes, he was tricking you. He's basically a hypocritical person who exploits others to get what he wants, then abandons them—just like he did with me. He denied everything I provided for him in the past: I took care of him, raised him, fed him, loved him, brought him back, and gave him positions greater than he deserved. And yet, he let me down and betrayed me when he found something else to amuse himself with. And now, he abandoned you and denied your favor just because he reached his goal. Don't you see he's a bad person, as he says?"
Dazai said, "Yes, I am disappointed in him."
Nahira said, "Yes, Dazai. But what do you say? I will make an agreement with you that will guarantee several things: the safety of your sister and the end of this Arias—even though his fate has just been sealed. And more importantly..." She whispered into his ear, making his skin crawl.
He said, "Are you really going to do that?"
She said, "Yes, why not? Basically, this will be the best decision for both of us. But what do you think?"
He told her, "I'll think about it."
She said, "That's good." Then she stood up from on top of him, extended her hand for him to take, and helped him up.
She told him, "Don't worry about your sister; nothing will happen to her. You just have to follow my plan. And if you dare to disobey me, your sister will perish, you will perish, and everyone you hold dear will perish. Do you understand me?"
Dazai said, "As you wish. But don't you dare harm Izola ever."
She told him, "Don't worry, she is safe with me. Just follow the plan, act like nothing happened, forget you saw me or came here, and return to your army to prepare for your grueling war."
He said to her, "And you, don't you dare back out of the agreement, because at any moment of betrayal, I'll ruin everything."
She told him, "Don't worry, I'll place a covenant between us, and it's magical. If either of us breaks the agreement, they will suffer. So don't worry, are you agreeing?"
He thought for a moment, then said, "I agree."
A mark indicating the seal of the covenant appeared on her hand and his, and he left the castle.
Nahira smiled and said, "This is good. Things are going to change now." She looked at the screen where Arias was standing facing Baryon.
Arias said, "Damn it, I feel like I'm going to throw up from the smell of all the blood I've bled."
Baryon said, "What's wrong? Have you become so soft that you're disgusted by ordinary things?"
Arias spat out his blood and said, "Well, I'll make you smell the stench of your own filthy blood."
Arias stopped and relaxed his body. Baryon was surprised by what was happening as Arias stood still.
Nahira said from behind the screen, "He's going to turn into that blue form of his."
Indeed, Baryon felt a strange sensation; the vacuum beneath him began to tremble. He stepped back slightly, thinking, What does this rat intend to do? Baryon felt intense pressure surrounding him.
In the Sixth World, Wang was sitting in the garden with Lena, who was teaching him how to sew and patch clothes. He paused for a moment, feeling something strange, and thought to himself, What is this terrible feeling? Whose power is this? Oh god, it's quadrillions of light-years away from me, and yet I felt it! Whose power is it, and what is the purpose of releasing it? I swear that if that energy were unleashed here in front of me, it would vaporize this world and everything beyond it into infinity.
Lena said, "Wang, did you feel a slight tremor?"
Wang told her, "No, I didn't feel a thing."
In Karma's palace, everyone felt this energy. One of the rulers clutched his chest and said, "I feel sick from this damned energy. Whose is it?"
Karma said, "It must be Baryon. Does it really matter to show this kind of power against a weakling? It seems he did it for another reason we don't know. But come on, men, let's go to war now. We'll deal with this later."
Karma gathered his entire army, and with his presence and the presence of all the rulers, they headed toward the borders of World Zero.
In contrast, Dazai had returned silently to World Zero, surprising Celis with his return.
She said, "Don't worry, I didn't find anything. They must have taken her somewhere else."
Celis said, "You're not yourself. Did something happen?"
Dazai said, "Nothing. Did you take Zaya to a safe place?"
She said, "Yes, I sent her with her aunt Arlen to the west in our fortresses; at least they'll be away from the danger. But tell me, are we going to face them here?"
Dazai said, "No, we will face them at dawn inside the portal, because there, none of the worlds will be harmed, given that it's a separate dimension connecting the worlds. And if we fail, we will destroy the portal as agreed and trap everyone there."
Celis said, "This is our last hope."
He said, "Yes. And also, you won't believe that right now a fierce battle is taking place between the Black Eye and Baryon on the other side of the world."
Celis said, "We felt a terrifying energy—an energy beyond description—then it suddenly disappeared. We don't know what happened there because of the barrier separating the North from us; we are unable to understand what is happening there. But I hope your subordinate is well and capable of his mission."
Dazai said in a tired, disappointed voice, "Yes, I hope so too."
And indeed, they moved inside the portal between World 10 and World Zero, entering in massive numbers.
In the First World, Nahira entered Izola's room, where she was tied up and being tortured by Ramin.
Nahira said, "My dear Izola, do you know who was visiting me a few hours ago? You'll never guess." She gestured to remove the gag from her mouth, and Ramin did so.
Terrified, Izola said, "Please leave me! I won't hurt you in any way. Please let me go! Don't leave me with this person, please!"
Ramin looked at her with cold eyes.
Nahira told her, "So, you want him to leave?" she asked mockingly and nonchalantly.
Weeping, Izola said, "Yes, yes, let him leave! I don't want to see him, please!"
"Alright, my dear," Nahira said with an innocent smile. "I'll make him leave. Hey, leave, you evil man."
Ramin actually left the room, but Izola remained terrified.
Nahira told her, "Don't worry, I'm here to take care of you. I'm not like that evil man. I just want to show you things. I learned that the Black Eye is Mira Arias, and also other things. But the happy news is that I made an agreement with your brother, my dear."
Izola said, "You made an agreement with my brother?"
Nahira said, "Yes, we have become allies, which means you are my ally and not my enemy. And since you are my ally, how about I tell you or show you something that might upset you a little, but you need to know the truth since your best interest matters to me, little sister? Bring it in."
Guards entered carrying a specific book. Nahira sat next to the frightened Izola and said, "Well, I'm going to show you something fun. Are you ready?"
She opened the book, revealing pictures of Arias and Claris on their engagement day, along with many different photos: pictures in gardens, in restaurants, on the street, in a palace, everywhere.
Nahira said, "Look, aren't they lovely? Lovebirds."
Izola said, "What is this?"
Nahira said, "Don't you know this? This was their engagement day. They were truly happy, but circumstances forced them to part. However, each of them is now looking for the other again to revive their love story. Can you believe this picture was from just a few weeks ago, when Arias came here, rescued his fiancée from me, and ran away with her? Look how tightly he's holding her—he was afraid for her."
Izola looked at the pictures and screamed loudly, "Get this nonsense away from me! Get it away from me!"
Nahira closed the book and said, "As you wish. But just remember that, unfortunately, you are just a third party in this game, nothing more. And I care about your best interest and won't accept you being fooled by those bastards. So, how about you witness the end of that traitor right here, right now?"
Then a screen appeared showing Arias in his blue form, crushing Baryon and chasing after him, shouting, "Come out, come out, rat, wherever you are!"
Every time he heard a sound, he unleashed his energy toward it, and each time explosions occurred that destroyed everything.
Arias said mockingly, "Tell me, Baryon, do you want to play cat and mouse? Don't worry, I'll be a good cat, but I want you to be an obedient mouse who listens and runs away properly."
In a distant place, Baryon was hiding, his chest bleeding profusely because the moment Arias transformed, he was hit by a blow that caused internal bleeding, tearing his lung tendons and making it hard for him to breathe.
Because of that, Baryon said, "Damn it, his power jumped more and more! It has now reached about 30 nonillion. I didn't expect the situation to reach this. This kid has become more dangerous than I imagined, and if he keeps playing around with me like this, he will destroy me before I can unleash my ultimate power."