The world stopped.
For a single moment—
Everything froze.
The battlefield, once filled with chaos, destruction, and endless screams, fell into a suffocating silence.
Because at the center of it all—
Arata stood.
And something inside him had awakened.
---
### The Birth of Something Beyond
A violent surge of energy erupted from his body.
Not just golden.
Not just dark.
But something far more terrifying—
A fusion of both.
Black and gold energy spiraled around him like a collapsing star. The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly, cracks spreading for hundreds of meters.
The air itself trembled.
Even the sky reacted.
The Abyss Gate pulsed violently, as if rejecting his existence.
The Herald standing before him took a step back.
For the first time—
Its expression changed.
"…What is this…?"
Arata slowly lifted his head.
His eyes—
They were no longer human.
Golden light burned within them, but deep inside, a dark void pulsed like an endless abyss.
Ancient.
Cold.
Absolute.
Inside his mind—
The voice of the Ancient Entity echoed one final time.
*The Third Gate has opened.*
*You now wield a fragment… of the Ancient God's true power.*
Arata's voice came out low.
"…This is…"
He clenched his fist.
Power surged through his veins like a storm that could tear apart the world itself.
"…more than enough."
---
### The Battlefield Reacts
Far away—
Ren felt the pressure hit him like a wall.
He dropped to one knee.
"…What the hell is that…?"
Lyra's eyes widened in shock.
"…That's not just power…"
"…That's domination."
Even Viktor and Elira stopped fighting for a moment.
Every Herald turned toward Arata.
Even Kaito—
For the first time—
Looked serious in a way he never had before.
"…So you finally crossed that line."
---
### The First Strike
The Herald in front of Arata moved first.
It vanished instantly.
Faster than before.
Faster than anything.
But—
Arata didn't react.
Because he already knew.
The moment the Herald appeared behind him—
Arata's hand moved.
Effortless.
He grabbed its arm mid-attack.
The entire battlefield shook.
The Herald's eyes widened.
"…Impossible—"
Before it could finish—
Arata slammed it into the ground.
**BOOOOOOM**
The impact created a massive crater.
Shockwaves ripped across the battlefield.
Dust and debris exploded into the air.
Arata didn't stop.
He raised his hand.
Energy gathered.
Dense.
Condensed.
Terrifying.
"…End."
He brought his hand down.
**BOOOOM**
The Herald's body shattered under the force.
Dark fragments scattered into the air.
Gone.
Completely.
Silence.
Then—
Fear.
---
### War Turns
Ren stared in disbelief.
"…He just… killed a Herald."
Lyra whispered,
"That wasn't a fight…"
"…That was domination."
Across the battlefield, the other Heralds reacted instantly.
They moved.
All of them.
Four Heralds charged Arata at once.
The sky cracked from their combined power.
Kaito shouted,
"ARATA—"
But he didn't need to.
Arata stepped forward.
And vanished.
---
### Beyond Speed
The next second—
The battlefield exploded.
One Herald was sent flying across the sky.
Another crashed into the ground.
The third was torn apart mid-air.
The fourth—
Tried to retreat.
But Arata was already there.
Waiting.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
"You're too slow."
His hand pierced through the Herald's chest.
Golden-black energy erupted.
The creature froze.
"…This… power…"
"…belongs… to… him…"
It disintegrated instantly.
Gone.
All four.
Within seconds.
---
### The Cost
But something was wrong.
Arata's breathing became heavier.
His body trembled slightly.
The power—
It wasn't stable.
Inside his mind—
The Ancient Entity spoke again.
*Your body cannot sustain this for long.*
*The Third Gate consumes everything.*
Arata clenched his teeth.
"I don't care."
He looked up at the sky.
The Abyss Gate was still there.
Still pulsing.
Still alive.
"…I'll destroy it."
---
### The Final Obstacle
Suddenly—
The Abyss Gate shook violently.
A massive roar echoed from within.
Something was coming.
Something bigger.
Something worse.
The sky cracked open wider.
And from the darkness—
A colossal arm emerged.
The battlefield froze.
Ren whispered,
"…What… is that?"
Lyra's voice shook.
"…That's not a Herald…"
Kaito's expression darkened.
"…That's something above them."
The arm pulled itself out of the Gate.
Followed by a massive form.
A creature far larger than anything before.
Its presence alone crushed the battlefield.
Arata stared at it.
"…So this is the real enemy."
The creature's voice echoed like thunder.
"…SUCCESSOR…"
The ground trembled.
"…YOU WILL NOT STOP THIS."
---
### Final Clash
Arata stepped forward.
His aura exploded again.
"I don't need to stop everything."
He raised his hand.
Energy gathered.
"…I just need to stop you."
The creature roared.
Dark energy surged.
The sky shattered.
Then—
They moved.
The collision was catastrophic.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM**
A massive explosion engulfed the battlefield.
Light and darkness clashed violently.
The ground split apart.
The sky tore open.
Everyone was forced to step back.
Ren shouted,
"ARATA!"
Lyra shielded her eyes.
"I can't see anything!"
Kaito stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
### The End of the Battle
The light slowly faded.
The dust settled.
And in the center—
Arata stood.
Breathing heavily.
The massive creature—
Gone.
Completely erased.
The Abyss Gate above—
Cracking.
Breaking.
Then—
Collapsing.
The sky slowly returned to normal.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
The war…
Was over.
---
### Collapse
Arata's aura flickered.
The Third Gate power began fading.
His body trembled violently.
"…So this… is the cost…"
His vision blurred.
His legs gave out.
And he fell.
Before hitting the ground—
Kaito caught him.
"…Idiot."
But there was a faint smile.
"You went too far."
---
### Final Scene – The True Darkness
Deep within the Abyss—
A massive throne room.
Endless darkness.
And sitting upon it—
A figure.
Watching everything.
Its eyes slowly opened.
"…Interesting."
A faint smile appeared.
"The successor has reached the Third Gate."
The shadows around it twisted.
"Then it's time…"
"…to end this game."
To be continued...