"Don't depend too much on anyone in this world because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness."
- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328).
Back in Laozi's palace Lupus and Talus continued their training. Laozi explained that they had to grab a glass of water that Laozi was holding. The water had magical properties that would make them stronger. They had been trying to catch Laozi for 3 days only resting during the nights. Laozi remained still, serene as ever, the glass of shimmering silver-blue water floating above his palm. Despite three days of failed attempts, the water hadn't spilled a single drop. Lupus, shirtless, bruised, and breathing heavily, stared at it with a mix of frustration and admiration. Talus, more composed but equally exhausted, stood beside him with a quiet intensity in his eyes. "You keep reaching for it," Laozi said. "But power is not something you seize. It is something you align with." Lupus growled, "You've been saying stuff like that for days. We need that power now. I'm destined to become a god." Laozi tilted his head slightly. "Then stop thinking of yourselves as two people."
Talus placed a hand on Lupus's shoulder. "He's right. We're still fighting separately. Even when we're side by side, our minds are split." Lupus looked at Talus, something in his expression softening. "So what do we do? Merge?" Talus smirked faintly. "Maybe not merge. But sync." They closed their eyes. Their breaths slowed. Laozi watched without a word. For a moment, silence stretched between them—until their breathing matched rhythm. Their auras, once separate, began to shimmer with resonance, like tuning forks hitting the same frequency. Suddenly, they moved. Not like before. Not two bodies attacking together, but a single motion shared between them. Lupus moved low, Talus high. A feint and a strike, simultaneous, not choreographed but instinctual. Laozi vanished—then reappeared behind them, just in time for Lupus to catch him off-guard. Talus reached out.
His fingers brushed the glass. Time slowed. The water pulsed with ancient energy, and both warriors were yanked into a vision—standing on the edge of a black sea beneath a crimson sky. A massive gate of stone stood before them, inscribed with celestial runes and bound by glowing chains. A voice, not Laozi's, echoed in their minds. "You who seek balance must first walk the path of the Gatebearer. The keys are not given. They are remembered." They blinked—and were back. The glass was gone. Laozi now held nothing in his hands, smiling calmly. "You touched the truth. That's enough for now." Lupus stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow. "What was that place?" Laozi stated: "That vision came from you, the water was normal water, and the training is what made you stronger. It strengthened your mind as well. What you saw only you know. But it means your minds are one." Lupus folded his arms and grunted: "Great, I'm stuck in the brain with this imp." Laozi walked over to his work table: "More importantly you have access to these now, my Immortality Pills. Take as many as you can eat. I would say the more you eat the better." Talus and Lupus walked over the drawer and began to stuff the pills in their mouths, first hundreds, then thousands, then hundreds of thousands of pills were pushed down both their gullets. Talus and Lupus began to shine with golden light. Lupus was most excited laughing ominously, "Hehehehehehe, I feel it! The power of a god! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Unbelievable, this power flowing through me! I've been reborn!!" Laozi cut Lupus's arm off, but his arm instantly grew back, Laozi stabbed Lupus but the wound instantly healed. "No way." said Talus. "You're instincts are correct, both of you have become immortal," said Laozi.
Meanwhile, on Planet Helios…
Back at the compound, Zenkaisu finally regurgitated the metaphysical jar with the pig-like demon still screaming inside. Sarai calmly took the jar with a pair of nanite gloves. "You swallowed it?" Sarai said with a blink. "What are you, a vending machine?" Zenkaisu shrugged. "You know I like to keep things secure." Sarai grinned and attached the jar to a suspension rig that hovered in mid-air, sealing the demon in a rotating energy field. "I'll interrogate the little porker. He'll talk. They always do."
Ungar stood by the window, watching the night skyline. "That relic guardian... its energy. That wasn't just corrupted tech. That was divine-level corruption. We're dealing with something old. Something that's playing the long game." Nova's grin vanished. "Yeah. And if my spies in the Divine realm are right the Gods are desperate enough to work with demons. And with the Gods cutting deals with demons, it's clear we're not being told everything." Just then, the compound's perimeter sensors blared. "Multiple warp signatures—non-localized," said Nova, looking at a projected interface. Demonic energy was slowly growing below the planet's surface.
In the Demon Realm…
Krampus walked up to a group of demons in Tatarus (the Hell-Fire of the Demon Realm). One of them was a being with a squid-like face and bat wings by the name of Zayid. Another was a woman with large breasts, three eyes, grey skin and pointy ears named Dajjal. A third was a being with one giant eye and sharp teeth named Argon. And a fourth a being with disgusting flesh tendrils named Malik. Krampus sat down before them, "It seems as if our agreement with the gods has been finalized. It's about time, I'm done with living in the shadows. It's time to usher in a new age. In 1,000 years time this world will be ruled by Demon Kind and the filthy humans and all the other mortals will be dealt with and exterminated." The demon Dajjal laughed: "Is that what this was about, I thought we were just burning everything to the ground. For our king." Krampus grunted: "The king can't come about unless he has a host." There was a calm foreboding feeling amongst everyone, until Zayid spoke up: "How about that girl (Hermes), that false Prophet if the boss takes over her body he'll be unstoppable, this entire world we'll fall before him and the Demons will inherit the earth." Malik scoffed: "Aren't you forgetting something. That boy is the reincarnation of the Demon King, being much older than our master and much more powerful. Plus we have to get through Zenkaisu." Krampus said angrily: "Zenkaisu isn't the worst of them." Argon raised an eyebrow: "You know something?" Krampus nodded: "That guy in the black armor (Ungar) his power and latent power is on another level. I tracked onto his aura and there was nothing like he didn't exist, but when I pressed further beyond his Avatar state. I felt something incredible, like a million black holes, like the emptiness of a void, but filled with countless existence all the same. It was overwhelming." Dajjal laughed: "Like he didn't exist. I could take him." Krampus replied: "Then seek out his power level, here's a piece to get you started." Krampus passed a small amount of energy to Dajjal. Dajjal concentrated, it was hard to lock on to anything, sweat began to drip from her head. Until eventually, it hit her. Her eyes opened up. She began to shake with fear, "What is this I'm feeling? It's too much. And yet there's nothing. What is this?" In her vision Ungar turned around and looked at her. His red eyes glaring into her soul. The second she saw this her heart froze cold and she opened her eyes. One hand placed on the ground as she breathed heavily in a cold sweat. She was still shaking. Krampus folded his arms. "I told you so," he said. A voice in the distance rang out. "And so what if he is that strong that just means it will be a challenge." A demon with pale grey skin, long white thick hair and pointy ears and horns walked out his name was Khidr. "If we die that's one thing but the invasion of mankind we'll mean nothing if it's too easy." Everyone began to murmur. "The world ahead of us is bright, we'll strike tomorrow. We'll strike the ones in Helios. I want to fight this being that's so rattled you two."
Talus and Lupus had finally reached the realm of the Devas; this was supposed to be the abode of Sakuyumi Buddha. The Devas were beings of light who had reached pure enlightenment; the city was vast and great. And there was no clear direction where Sakuyumi even was. "Great, how are we supposed to find this guy?" Talus looked around: "You're kidding, I already sensed him, he's 2 days walk in this direction." Lupus was shocked, "How on earth did you know that?!" Talus replied: "It's the immortality pills they clearly increase awareness as well. Try searching him out, I bet you can do it." Lupus closed his eyes and after a moment of concentrating he noticed it. "You're right. I guess we still have a little longer to go." Lupus and Talus passed the city into a land of giant Mushrooms that stretched out into the horizon they were in a giant field, with mountains in the distance orc like creatures were everywhere but they could sense both their auras so they dared not get near them. "Our power has increased so much these creatures don't even want to get near us." Lupus laughed: "I could get used to this." Lupus smirked: "But why settle with just walking there, when I can enjoy… A LITTLE TARGET PRACTICE!" Prince Lupus leaped into the air and began firing Ki blasts at the creatures below; the little imps ran in terror as he began to slaughter them. "Ahahahahahaha. Get ready for my new attack!" Lupus put his hands together and unleashed an attack that shot off into the horizon blowing a hole into the mountain, "BLACK LIGHTNING!" Talus shook his head: "I hope you got that out of your system." Lupus cracked his neck: "Yeah for now. But don't forget one day I will fight you again and I will win." Talus: "One thing at a time first we have to…" The ground began to shake. Talus and Lupus were confused. "What the hell is happening?" A giant creature came from the ground, a troll with one eyeball and nasty teeth. It had to be at least 20 feet tall. Lupus got excited: "Finally, a real challenge." The troll's roar shattered the stillness of the mushroom plains, echoing across the horizon like thunder. Its massive footfalls created small craters in the earth as it lunged toward them with surprising speed for something so large. Talus raised his hand, halting Lupus. "Wait. Something's off." The troll stopped mid-charge and bellowed again—but this time, the sound was more than just a roar. There was a resonance to it, a pulse of spiritual energy that shimmered in the air like heat waves.
"That's… not just a beast," Talus muttered, narrowing his eyes. "It's infused with Deva energy. Someone sent this thing." Lupus grinned wide, the thrill of battle buzzing in his blood. "So, what, this is a test?" "Or a warning." "Either way, I'm not running." Lupus leapt forward, fists crackling with Ki, but as he neared the troll, it raised its massive hand—not to strike, but to slam the ground. The shockwave knocked Lupus out of the air, sending him tumbling through a patch of bioluminescent mushrooms. Talus rushed forward, drawing his twin blades, the metal singing with power. He slashed at the troll's leg, leaving a deep gouge, but the creature didn't flinch—it retaliated instantly, sweeping Talus back with the back of its fist. He landed on his feet, skidding across the ground. "Damn," he said, spitting dirt from his mouth. "It's regenerating. Fast."
The wound on the troll's leg sealed shut almost instantly. Its eye glowed now—bright golden like a miniature sun. "He… waits," it said in a gravelly voice, shocking them both. Lupus stood, wiping blood from his lip. "Waits? Who? Sakuyumi?" "No," Talus said slowly, the pieces clicking in his mind. "Someone else… someone who knows we're coming." Suddenly, the sky above them shimmered and split open like torn fabric. From the rift descended a figure wreathed in white flame, armored in ornate crystal, eyes like frozen time. Lupus took a cautious step back. "Who the hell is that?" The figure spoke, its voice calm and deep: "You walk the path of the Awakened, but wield your power like children with swords. The Buddha will not receive you without judgment. I am the Warden of the Outer Gate." Talus narrowed his eyes. "And if we pass your judgment?" The Warden raised a hand, the troll vanishing in a blink of light.
"Then you may face your true test… the Mirror of Self. But fail… and your souls shall be scattered across a thousand lifetimes."
Lupus cracked his knuckles, already charging energy in his hands. "I like this guy. Let's see what he's made of." Talus smirked. "Then let's not hold back."
And with that, they launched themselves into the sky toward the Warden, power flaring like suns behind them.
Back in Neo-Germany Detective Mahler had taken Nova and the others to her office and showed them everything relating to the investigation. "So you see, several children were murdered at this orphanage, it got so bad that it had to be shut down." Zaiyal took a deep breath: "And what do you think is behind this?" Detective Mahler took a deep drag of her cigarette. "I honestly don't know, it seems super-natural honestly, but that's impossible, there's obviously a rational explanation for all of this." Nova laughed: "You don't believe in the Super Natural?" Detective Mahler shook her head: "No since I was a child I never believed in spirits, ghosts, gods or demons. We live in a material universe, there's nothing else to it." Nova laughed: "Well how about you explain this?" Nova stuck out his index finger and his aura grabbed a hold of a lamp on the Detective's desk. The detective's face turned white, "It…it…it… it has to be a trick." Nova laughed: "Is it now? Come with us outside." After they walked outside the detective looked irritated: "Look I don't know what kind of tricks you're pulling but…" Nova began to levitate as did Zaiyal, then Qayyim, then Nelly, then Mark and Hermes. They were all levitating. This proved too much for Detective Mahler to handle; she ended up fainting as a result.
Later in the day Mahler woke up: she was startled by them and began to stammer. "You were flying through the air… That's impossible, that's not something humans can do." Zaiyal interjected: "You need to snap out of it, this reality is real. You need to listen to what we have half to say." They explained everything to Doctor Mahler. How Ungar found Daniel in the forest 1,000 years ago, the fights with Ebisu, Lord Tep, Lucifer, Zaidon and all the rest. Of Hermes and her Prophethood and everything else. Detective Mahler looked down: "I see…" After a short pause she said: "I guess my entire worldview was wrong all along. Incredible. But I can't fixate on that now. What lead do you think I should follow?" Nova held up a file from inside Mahler's desk: "Well for one this name mentioned in the report Detective Anton Wolker seems promising, it also seems familiar. Mahler typed in the name on the database. "You're right, I should hit myself for not searching for this earlier. Doctor Anton Volker was a German scientist born in Munich in the year 100,059 AD. He disappeared about 60 years ago according to this article." Qayyim began to read the article: "Volker worked on trying to link the physical world and the material world. He wanted to expand the pineal gland in order to allow humans to enter the fourth dimension. After an experiment he conducted 60 years ago he mysteriously disappeared. After his disappearance German police entered his police residence and discovered 100 terrabytes of child torture pornography on his computer, and evidence for child murder and sexual abuse in his basement, as well as several dead Prostitutes who had also disappeared. As well as Satanic and Demonic symbols written all over his documents." Zaiyal grunted: "This Volker guy seems like a real piece of shit. Good riddance, it's a good thing this world is free of him." Nova interjected: "Yeah… I'm not so sure." Hermes was shocked: "Nova what do you mean?" Nova replied: "Well we can't conclude anything so we need to check two places: the orphanage and then we need to head to Doctor Volker's old place of residence. It may be… that… Volker is responsible for all these crimes."
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! VOLKER DIED 60 YEARS AGO!" said Zaiyal. "Disappeared, not dead. But he disappeared to where?" Mahler nodded: "I'll take you all to the orphanage, come with me." They entered a large car and began to travel to the Orphanage. "You know I now recall hearing about Dr. Mahler, I heard about him in my college years, I heard he was a sick freak. It's quite a shame if he used his abilities for good, he would have been a great scientist. He may have even discovered the god gene." said Nova. Child sexual abuse? Mark recounted his own experience of abuse at the hands of his uncle. He shook his head, this Doctor Volker seemed much worse. He could hardly imagine what this man was responsible for. They eventually arrived at the orphanage, they looked around but found little. As they were deciding to leave a giant monstrosity tried to attack Mahler but Zaiyal blew it up with his hand. "That was unfortunate, I believe that was one of the children, let's go. We're going to the old doctor's home in eastern Berlin.
After about 40 minutes they arrived at the home of the late Doctor Anton Volker. It was extremely ominous. As they walked in they realized there was nothing there. The building was completely empty besides a computer in the attic oddly enough. Mahler pulled out a chip. "What is that?" said Zaiyal. Nova replied: "It's a hard-recovery chip, anything that was previously on the hard drive can be extracted." Just like he said, everything was pulled from the hard drive and a lot of things that we're pretty terrible for that matter. Children, Animals and Women being tortured and raped to death, there were thousands of these videos. Zaiyal: "What a sick freak." Mahler who had watched hours of torture content when she used to catch online predators skimmed through it until she found a video of interest. It was Dr. Volker put a child into a device that once it injected him the child turned into a demon, a terrible monstrosity. There were hundreds of these videos. And then after a certain date the content stopped. Qayyim: "So what happened?" Mahler hit a mysterious file titled "on" when she clicked the file a machine came from the ground of the attic. Without missing a beat, it turned itself on. Zaiyal: "What the fuck is this?!" The machine was old, covered in dust and cobwebs. Nova pointed upward and they could see small creatures floating around.
Nova narrowed his eyes at the floating figures, barely visible in the dim light. "Those aren't just creatures," he said slowly. "They're resonances—fragments of souls, twisted echoes. The machine must've ripped them out during transformation." Hermes backed toward the stairwell. "We shouldn't be here. This place is cursed. That machine shouldn't even work after sixty years. This thing's running on something... unnatural." Mahler stepped forward, oddly composed. "This confirms it. Volker didn't just experiment—he succeeded. He found a way to breach dimensions using the human soul as fuel." Zaiyal clenched his fists. "So those kids… weren't just turned into monsters. They were torn apart from the inside." "Worse," Qayyim muttered, scrolling through the last logged entries on the computer. "He wasn't working alone. There are references to a group—The Black Circle. Names, partial symbols…" Qayyim was cut off. There was a man standing in the room with them with a white mustache, neatly combed white hair, and was completely naked. "Hello, all of you. I'm glad you could be so gracious to visit me here in my humble abode." Mahler began to stutter: "It can't be Dr. Mahler." Dr. Mahler replied: "Yes it's me, in the flesh so to speak." Hermes gritted her teeth: "Get real, Dr. Volker died over 60 years ago." Volked began to laugh: "Not die, liberated. Dr. Volker liberated himself 60 years ago and became one with the abyss. There's that famous Nietzsche quote: "Don't stare into the abyss, for the abyss may stare back at you." He used it as a warning but Nietzsche was wrong, dreadfully wrong I'm afraid, for I entered the abyss and found nothing but bliss and joy." Zaiyal got in a fighting stance: "Cut the shit old man! How are you talking with us?!" Volker began to snicker: "You want to see something interesting." Volked began to extend his jaw, sharp teeth began to protrude from it. His eyes bulged out of his head like slugs and the faces of the children appeared all over his body he began to form into a giant creature of flesh and tendrils, tentacles on his face, slug like eyes, and a protruding jaw. Mark was shaking with anger: "I HEARD ENOUGH!" Mark shot a ray of energy which hit the creature but the creature just laughed. As he disintegrated into the air: "I cannot fully enter this world for I am not complete. It's only a matter of time, my underlings will release me…"
Everyone looked around. Zaiyal grunted: "We need to get back to Helios. Mahler, you're coming with us. We need to protect the others from these things they have carte blanche to show up anywhere. And one way or another they're going to try to bring back that thing somehow."
Talus and Lupus eventually beat the giant creature. The creature revealed itself to be Saykumi Buddha. Talus was confused: "Wait if you're Saykumi Buddha, why can I feel your presence from far away?" Saykumi explained: "Once you've achieved Buddhahood your essence can be felt anywhere and in multiple places. Here it's long overdue." Saykumi handed the two the three Dragon Jewels once they touched them they gained a huge power increase. Saykumi Buddha stated: "This is the only beginning. You will train at my temple. And your training has only just begun."
Back on Helios, Ungar, Zenkaisu and the others continued to conduct experiments on the pig demon until they began to feel a shaking like a light earthquake but it got louder and louder until a man exploded out of the ground. He had grey skin, pointy ears and long white hair, and next to him a being with sharp teeth and one big eye. They landed on the ground before our heroes. "Well, well, you must be this Ungar I've heard so much about." Ungar narrowed his eyes, stepping forward with slow precision. "And you are?" The grey-skinned man grinned. His voice came out like a whisper wrapped in static. "I am Khidr. And this is Malik. We're here to fight you on behalf of our master." He glanced toward the pig demon restrained in the lab. "You've been tampering with things far beyond your clearance." Zenkaisu stepped in beside Ungar, energy already bristling around her fists. "You're with Volker?" Draziel tilted his head. "Volker? That was a man. We serve what he became. He opened the threshold—and now, we walk through it." Zenkaisu laughed: "You're laughing now but soon we'll be able to enter your world." Khidr laughed: "Is that so? Well that's a welcome development. I would love to fight you on our turf. But for now I think I'll show you what I can do in your world. Watch this." Khidr began charging up his power, the power became greater and greater, he began to scream. The ground shook until it became a crater. Nova's lab was in the process of being destroyed. "Get ready you're about to fight a Demon God!" An explosion occurred.
After it was over the demon's hair was glowing bright gold. His eyes were red and his skin was pale white. He declared: "Malik, you fight the others I'll take on Ungar." After he said this he charged at Ungar knocking him into the sky. Ungar regained his composure once he was in the clouds. Then he began unleashing a flurry of attacks back at Khidr. Khidr caught each blow with a twisted smile, the shockwaves from their strikes rippling through the sky like thunderclaps. His body didn't just take the hits—it seemed to welcome them, absorbing Ungar's energy and feeding off it.
"You hit like a hammer," Khidr said, flexing his fingers. "But hammers break when they strike something harder." Ungar didn't respond. His aura surged—flames of sapphire and white twisting around him as he powered up. He wasn't just angry. He was focused. He rocketed forward, slamming a knee into Khidr's gut. The demon doubled over but caught Ungar with an elbow on the way down, sending him spiraling into the upper atmosphere. The battle carried them beyond the stratosphere, where the air gave way to the silence of space. Stars glinted in the void around them, a silent audience to a godlike duel. Khidr cracked his neck and looked around. "Space? Bold. But this only frees me." He spread his arms. Dark matter swirled around him, forming rings of pure entropy. "Do you know what the void offers, Ungar? Limitless expansion." He launched forward, streaking through space like a comet made of ruin.
Ungar met him with fists glowing with compressed light. They clashed again—fists meeting claws, energy waves detonating like novas. Planetoids in the distance shattered. Their fight cracked the edges of reality, and something gave. A tear opened in the fabric of space itself. Khidr grinned as they were sucked through. They landed in a place with no gravity, no sky—just color. Floating fragments of time, pieces of dead universes, screaming echoes from beings that had never been born. A dimension outside causality. Khidr landed softly, unfazed. "Welcome to the Shatterfield. My sanctuary." Ungar floated above him, bleeding light. "If this is your sanctuary, then I'll bury you here."
Khidr snarled. "Try it." They collided again, but this time their battle was more than physical. Here, thoughts had weight. Memories could injure. Khidr attacked with illusions of Ungar's past: his failures, the people he couldn't save, the lives lost under his command. Each memory struck like a blade, threatening to unravel his focus. Ungar dropped to a knee, panting. Khidr walked toward him, voice thick with venom. "You don't understand, do you? Power alone can't save your world. Volker saw the truth. He let go of mortality. Join us. Let go." Ungar's eyes glowed, his voice steady: "No." He stood, and his form began to shift—taller, brighter, forged from raw willpower. He wasn't just fighting Khidr. He was resisting the unraveling force of the Shatterfield itself.
Then Ungar whispered something ancient—an activation phrase locked deep in his aura, from a time before memory.
His body ignited. A halo of black flame and golden lightning surrounded him. He moved faster than sight. This time, he didn't hold back. He hit Khidr with everything: light punches that bent gravity, kicks that folded space, blasts of antimatter-laced will. Khidr screamed, body cracking. "You're nothing but a relic—" Ungar grabbed him by the throat. "I'm more than you could ever know." He threw Khidr through three dimensions at once. Realities shattered behind him like mirrors dropped from the heavens. Khidr slammed into a crystalline plane that reflected infinite versions of him, each screaming in pain. Ungar landed beside him, breathing heavily. "This ends now." But Khidr was laughing, even as his form flickered and bled fragments of his essence. "You think you've won? Volker planned for this. The Shatterfield is just the gateway. You opened it. You fool." And then, from the deepest tear in the astral plane, something ancient began to stir. Ungar looked down, fists clenched. "Then I guess I'll fight everything if I have to." Ungar saw large insectoid aliens attack who tried to attack both him and Khidr.
Khidr destroyed them with a barrage of energy attacks. He then focused on Khidr once more. "BLACK VOID OF DEATH!" Ungar held out his hand and created a giant vortex of mass energy that began to absorb Khidr. Khidr began to cry out in pain, "No, stop!!" Ungar: "I'm sorry I need to destroy you. All of your ilk must be dealt with." Khidr continued to cry out in agony: "PLEASE!! PLEASE STOP!! I'll do anything please stop it." Ungar continued: "You know I have to, just accept your fate." Just then, Khidr smiled. "You really think that's enough to bind me, don't make me laugh." Khidr kicked the black orb and shattered it which was in fact a black hole. Ungar began to shake with fear. "I'm disappointed. I thought you would be more of a challenge." Ungar was stunned how this being could be so strong.