The members of Nova Genesis stepped out of the portal and into a vast, untouched wilderness. Stretching endlessly before them was a dense jungle, its canopy thick and alive, while a deep valley lay just ahead, cutting through the land like a scar.
Melissa looked around, taking in the scenery. "This place actually looks really nice," she said, her tone light despite the tension in the air.
Arata didn't respond. His focus was entirely on the task ahead.
With a slight motion of his gauntlet, the massive Infinity Stone Generator was suspended in the air by the power of the Space Stone. The machine hummed faintly as it floated forward, guided effortlessly by invisible force.
Arata directed it down into the valley, lowering it carefully until it settled at the center. The rest of the group remained at the top edge, watching from a safe distance.
He descended shortly after, landing beside the machine. His fingers moved quickly across its interface, pressing buttons and initiating sequences with practiced precision. After a final check, he activated the system.
The generator came to life.
A deep, vibrating hum filled the valley as energy began circulating through its core. Lights flickered across its surface, and the air itself seemed to distort slightly around it.
Moments later, Arata lifted back into the air and returned to the others, holding a thick energy-conducting wire in his hand.
Without wasting time, he pointed his gauntlet toward the machine below.
The Space Stone glowed.
A surge of blue energy shot from the gauntlet, traveling through the wire and directly into the generator.
The machine reacted violently.
It began to shake.
The hum turned into a loud, unstable vibration as Arata continued channeling energy into it, his focus unwavering.
All around them, the jungle came alive—but not in peace.
Birds burst out of the trees in flocks. Animals scattered in every direction, their cries echoing through the forest as they fled from the valley.
Aiba looked around in confusion. "Why are all the animals running away?"
Kaina crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the machine. "Instinct," she said calmly. "They can sense danger before we can."
Everyone fell silent, watching.
Below them, the generator trembled more violently with each passing second as Arata pushed more and more energy into it. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating.
Minutes passed.
Then—BOOM!
The generator exploded.
A massive blast tore through the valley, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Did it work?" David asked, adjusting his glasses as he leaned forward slightly.
Everyone stared down at the wreckage, unsure of what to expect.
"Stay back," Arata said firmly.
He raised his gauntlet again, using the Space Stone to isolate the central chamber of the destroyed machine. The broken structure shifted and separated as he manipulated it, exposing the core.
Then—A terrifying pillar of red light erupted from the chamber.
It shot upward with immense force, piercing through the sky and spreading outward in all directions. The energy wasn't contained—it expanded, washing over the jungle like a wave of annihilation.
Arata reacted instantly.
A space barrier formed around the group, encasing them in a protective dome just as the red energy swept past.
Everything it touched—turned to dust.
Trees disintegrated. The ground cracked and collapsed. Life itself seemed to vanish in an instant.
When the light finally began to fade, what remained was no longer a jungle.
It was a crater.
A massive, lifeless crater.
The red energy, now dimming, began to swirl inward, condensing at the center. Slowly…steadily… it took shape.
A small object formed.
A red stone.
Roughly the size of a walnut, glowing faintly with immense power.
Arata didn't drop the barrier until every trace of the energy had completely disappeared.
Only then did silence return.
The others stood frozen, staring at the destruction below, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
Arata lowered the barrier and slowly descended into the crater.
He landed at the center, his eyes locked onto the floating red stone.
Even from a distance, he could feel it.
The power.
It pulsed like a heartbeat.
He raised his hand, coating it in space energy before reaching out and grabbing the stone.
Slowly, he placed the Red Power Stone into the gauntlet, right beside the glowing blue Space Stone.
The moment he placed it—A violent surge of energy rushed into his body.
His veins glowed red, spreading across his arm and neck as the Power Stone's energy clashed with the Space Stone already inside the gauntlet.
Arata gritted his teeth, his body trembling under the strain.
"Ghh—!"
He forced himself to stay standing, taking a deep breath as he guided the energy, stabilizing it through sheer control and will.
After a few intense seconds—It settled.
He exhaled sharply, catching his breath.
The two energies coexisted… barely restrained. Arata looked at the stones, then turned toward the others approaching him.
A grin spread across his face.
He raised his hand and gave them a thumbs up.
"Power Stone… success."
David adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming with fascination. "Incredible… the energy reached a singularity point and condensed into a stable form. This… this is beyond anything I have ever studied."
Kaina, Tobita, and Aiba could only stare in awe, their eyes shifting between the red and blue stones.
Melissa stepped forward with a smile. "Now dealing with the Gollini family just got a lot easier."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone turning playful. "But before that… how about a little demonstration?"
The others immediately looked interested.
Arata smirked slightly. "Yeah… I was thinking the same."
He turned toward an empty stretch of land within the crater and raised his gauntlet.
The Power Stone glowed intensely.
"Death Beam."
A concentrated red beam shot out from his hand.
It tore through the ground like paper, carving a deep, destructive path across the land, obliterating everything in its way in a single instant.
Silence followed.
Everyone—including Arata—stared at the devastation.
"…Okay," Arata muttered under his breath, "…maybe adding three decay quirks wasn't the best idea."