The dust of the courtyard didn't just settle; it seemed to bow in the presence of the golden figure standing in the center of the crater. Xerxes-Vahl had been split nearly in two by Drakye's air blade but the expected eruption of chaos never came. Instead, golden geometric threads began to pull the two halves of his body back together with a sickening metallic hum.
"Drakye, get back!" Reid shouted, his voice cracking from the strain of his injuries.
Xerxes' body snapped shut, the shimmering gold skin sealing perfectly. He looked at the Captains with his four eyes, which now glowed with a terrifying, unified light. "You are really interesting," Xerxes said, his voice echoing as if spoken by a legion. "I've lived for 500 million years, and never in my lifetime have I ever faced an opponent who pushed me beyond my limits."
"How is he still alive?" Shadow hissed, clutching his scorched chest. "Our attack should have worked. You should have died."
"Yes, you are right. I should have died," Xerxes said, stepping forward with a grace that felt heavy, as if each step carried the weight of a planet. "Let me explain what really happened. Instead of trying to push the 'Broken Equation' away, I used myself as the counterweight."
He took a deep breath, then continued. "The Law of Conservation: In physics, energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. I applied the Law of Equilibrium to my own molecular structure. I allowed the infinite pressure of the attack to enter my body and used my 'Perfect Balance' to distribute that pressure equally across every single atom. By spreading that 'infinite' force, I negated the point-of-impact destruction. I essentially became a living container for the chaos."
The Captains' eyes widened. It was a gamble that should have obliterated him, but his mastery over physics had allowed him to "swallow" the singularity.
"And now," Xerxes smiled, his face becoming a mask of golden light, "I am even more powerful than before. Let me show you. Law of Equilibrium: Divine Scale!"
The clouds above Sector 1 were forcibly torn apart. Thousands of golden butterflies swarmed together, weaving a scale so massive it cast a shadow over the entire district. The atmosphere grew thick, as the golden scale appeared,
Everyone in the border could see it , and feel the Evo -energy even dock saw it .
It shines bright like a sun .
"Damn it," Drakye cursed, trying to summon a gust of air that wouldn't come. Sloane rushed forward from the 10th Division lines, her hands glowing with healing Evo-energy.
"I told you guys to stay back!" Drakye barked as she began to heal him
"Sir, we are Xenocides," a voice called out. The ranks of the 1st, 9th, and 10th Divisions stepped forward, moving past the exhausted Captains. Kylo, leading the Agris Prime, stood at the front. "Let us take it from here. Trust us."
Xerxes looked down at the dozens of soldiers. "More weights for the scale. Very well."
"Agris Prime, GO!" Kylo roared. His body flickered as he activated his Copycat Evolith. He stared at Xerxes, his brain screaming as he attempted to mimic the Commander's divine frequency. "Law of Equilibrium... Partial Copy!"
A smaller, flickering scale appeared above Kylo. He managed to stabilize the gravity for his team, but his nose immediately began to bleed. Copying a Commander was draining his Evo-energy at a lethal rate. This doesn't affect the zethrians they have infinite evo- energy as long as their core is intact.
"Now!" Kylo choked out.
Julian lunged, his Gravity Manipulation pulling the air down to pin Xerxes' feet. Simultaneously, Serephina raised her hands, and the glass from the surrounding ruined skyscrapers flew toward the Commander, sharpening into millions of microscopic needles. "Glass Rain!" she cried.
Xerxes didn't move. "Balance."
The gravity was reversed, sending the glass needles flying back at Serephina. Vance jumped in front of her, his Invincible Wall shimmering as the glass shattered against his unbreakable shield. "I've got you!" Vance grunted, his feet sliding back from the force.
From the flank, the 9th Division struck. Kross let out a guttural roar as his body distorted, muscles tearing and reforming into a massive, chitinous monster. He slammed into Xerxes with the force of a train.
Dr. D pointed his hand. "Matter Deconstruction!" The ground beneath Xerxes turned into liquid mercury, trying to swallow him. Sora opened her mouth, unleashing a Sonic Scream that vibrated at a frequency designed to cause stagnation and dizziness. "Stay still!" she wailed.
Lyra vanished, bending the light around her to become invisible, reappearing behind Xerxes to fire a concentrated light-blast at his head, while Kahn stretched his arms like massive rubber whips, wrapping them around Xerxes' torso to pin him.
"You have many tools," Xerxes remarked, his body glowing brighter. "But they are all unbalanced."
With a simple shrug, the gold-skinned Commander shattered Kahn's grip. He snapped his fingers, and the "Divine Scale" tipped. A wave of force hit the 9th Division, reversing Dr. D's matter manipulation—the liquid mercury turned into solid spikes that impaled Kross's monster form. Sora's scream was echoed back at her with double the intensity, knocking her unconscious instantly.
"He's picking them apart!" Jaxen shouted, his hands sparking. "Kealen, Rook, on my mark!"
Rook tore the metal rebars from the fallen buildings, weaving them into a giant cage around Xerxes. Kealen blasted the cage with white-hot fire, melting the metal into a glowing slag, and Jaxen hammered it with a lightning bolt, turning the cage into a superheated electromagnetic prison.
"Mikasa, fire!" Jaxen yelled.
Mikasa unleashed every missile and railgun round in her arsenal. The explosions rocked the plaza, obscured by Nyx, who was teleporting explosives directly into the center of the cage.
Renji stood at the back, his Star Eyes spinning at their 3rd Edge. He was seeing the future—seeing the exact moment Xerxes would break out. "He's going to strike left! Elias, move!"
Elias lunged forward. He wasn't using the Zero Point yet, but his physical speed was at its peak. He channeled his energy into a single, focused strike.
But the future Renji saw changed. It didn't just shift; it shattered.
"It's no use," Renji whispered, his Star Eyes bleeding. "He's balancing the future itself."
Xerxes emerged from the smoke, the metal cage having been absorbed into his gold skin. He looked at the 10th Division. "The sum of your efforts... is zero."
He moved like a flash of gold. He struck Jaxen in the chest, the lightning jumping back into Jaxen's own heart. He caught Rook's metal and turned it into dust with a touch. And kicked Mikasa sending her away.
Elias swung, but Xerxes caught his fist with a single finger.
Xerxes unleashed a pulse of "Divine Equilibrium." It wasn't an explosion; it was a wave of pure "Correctness."
Every Xenocide in the plaza was thrown back. Kylo collapsed, his Evo-energy completely bottomed out from the Copycat strain. Julian, Serephina, Vance—the Agris Prime were scattered like autumn leaves. The 9th and 10th Divisions lay broken across the rubble.
The "Divine Scale" above them leveled out, glowing with a cold, final light.
The Xenocides had given everything. They had used every trick, every manipulation, and every ounce of teamwork they possessed. But against a man who had turned himself into a living container for the laws of the universe, they were nothing more than imperfections to be erased.
Lyra was still standing she rushed towards Xerxes trying a sneak attack, but Xerxes caught her by the throat
"You human , are fragile and unbalanced" Xerxes said
Elias eye's widened as he saw he's team on the ground
"Nyx...renji... Jaxen" he said is voice cracking
Then as he turned he saw Lyra
"Wait don't.....stop...stoppppp" Elias screamed on top of he's lungs
Xerxes smiled "sorry child I must bring balance to the world" then Xerxes drove he's hand into Lyra stomach, then he left her , Blood began to drop from her body.
"Lyraaaaaa" Sora screamed
Elias eye's widened tears dropping from he's eyes
He began to have remember he's past how he watched he's family die
"No no no why .....why " Elias said as Lyra body hit the ground
"Why ...why did you....." Elias said tears dropping from he's eyes.
Everyone on the ground watched as their comrade fell .
Even the captains. Where disappointed in themselves, they couldn't save their team
They lost and weren't strong enough.