An endless palace floated amidst the stars.
Its pillars stretched beyond sight.
Every brick seemed to contain galaxies.
Every step echoed across countless universes.
At the center of the palace sat a throne forged from the remains of dying stars.
Upon it—
Sat a god.
Malzareth.
The ruler of eight universes.
The being worshipped by countless civilizations.
His eyes remained closed as billions of prayers reached him every second.
Then—
Footsteps.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
The sound echoed through the grand hall.
Malzareth slowly opened his eyes.
A young man dressed in simple black robes walked calmly toward the throne.
No guards stopped him.
No barriers activated.
No alarms rang.
Malzareth frowned.
"What are the guards doing?"
His voice thundered throughout the palace.
No answer came.
His expression darkened.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you enter my palace?"
The young man continued walking.
His expression remained indifferent.
After several steps—
He finally stopped.
He looked at Malzareth as one would look at an ordinary passerby.
Then quietly said,
"So..."
"You managed to rule eight universes..."
"...with talent this mediocre."
Silence.
The palace shook.
Malzareth slowly stood.
"Mediocre?"
His divine aura erupted.
"My talent?"
"Who are you to judge me?"
The young man sighed.
"You truly haven't changed."
Malzareth narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
The young man looked at him with mild disappointment.
"You showed that same pathetic talent..."
"...to the little girl who defeated you when she was only eight."
The words echoed through the palace.
Malzareth's pupils contracted.
For the first time—
Fear flickered across his face.
"...Impossible."
He took an involuntary step backward.
"Nobody..."
"...Nobody knows about that."
The young man smiled.
Not mockingly.
Simply...
Amused.
"Aelira."
The single name echoed throughout the palace.
Malzareth's breathing stopped.
"...No..."
His voice trembled.
"...How..."
"...How do you know that name?"
The young man calmly replied,
"I was there."
Silence.
The hall became deathly quiet.
Malzareth stared at him.
His mind raced.
Who was this man?
How could anyone know about that battle?
That shame...
He had buried it beneath countless years.
He had erased every witness.
Destroyed every record.
Yet...
This man knew.
The young man slowly raised his hand.
Without warning—
Malzareth's body vanished from the throne.
BOOM!
He appeared directly before the young man.
His neck firmly held within one hand.
Malzareth's eyes widened.
He struggled.
Divine energy erupted.
Space shattered.
Stars exploded.
Entire universes trembled beneath his power.
Yet—
The hand around his neck never moved.
Not even slightly.
Malzareth stared into those calm eyes.
"...Who..."
"...Who are you?"
The young man answered quietly.
"Someone..."
"...who cannot tolerate your existence."
Malzareth's pupils shrank.
For the first time in countless eons—
He understood.
Death.
Real death.
Panic consumed him.
Every divine technique erupted simultaneously.
Thousands of laws.
Millions of runes.
Reality itself bent.
Nothing worked.
The hand never loosened.
Then—
The young man softly spoke.
"Existence."
A brief pause followed.
Then—
"Erase."
There was no explosion.
No dazzling light.
No earth-shattering attack.
Malzareth simply...
Stopped existing.
His body disappeared.
His soul disappeared.
Even the concept of his presence vanished.
Silence filled the palace.
A heartbeat later—
The consequences arrived.
Across the neighboring universes—
Stars dimmed.
Heavens trembled.
Entire divine systems collapsed.
The death of a god rippled through creation itself.
The young man simply lowered his hand.
As though nothing had happened.
Behind him—
A portal opened.
A gigantic silver wolf walked out.
Its crimson eyes glanced around the empty palace.
Then toward the young man.
"Master."
The wolf respectfully lowered its head.
"You could have summoned one of us."
"There was no need to dirty your own hands."
The young man smiled faintly.
"It's alright, Zacke."
"I simply wished to see..."
"...how much he had grown."
A small chuckle escaped him.
"...since Aelira humiliated him as an eight-year-old child."
Zacke remained silent.
Even after all these years—
That story still sounded unbelievable.
The young man looked around the now-empty palace.
Then calmly ordered,
"Destroy this universe."
Zacke nodded.
"And the remaining seven?"
The young man looked toward the endless stars.
"Assign temporary Rogue Rulers."
"They'll govern until someone worthy ascends."
"As you command, Master."
The wolf disappeared.
The young man took one final glance at the empty throne.
Then vanished.
...
Meanwhile—
Inside Vespera's Association Headquarters.
Riven sat across from the President.
A stack of documents rested on the desk.
The President pushed them toward him.
"Fill these out."
"I'll have your Association Identification prepared."
Riven took the papers.
"...Right."
As he began writing—
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He looked up.
"Sir."
The President raised an eyebrow.
"What happened to Ivan?"
"He hasn't answered a single one of my calls."
The President's expression became unusually serious.
"The Kaelthron Family..."
"...appears to have encountered some trouble."
Riven stopped writing.
"Trouble?"
The President nodded.
"Yes."
Riven frowned.
"What kind of trouble?"
The President remained silent.
For a few moments—
He simply looked at Riven.
Then—
The scene changed.
...
Dark clouds filled the sky.
Rain poured endlessly.
A destroyed valley stretched in every direction.
Deep craters covered the earth.
At the center—
Ivan knelt on one knee.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
His clothes were torn.
His breathing was heavy.
Surrounding him—
Four figures stood silently.
Their faces hidden beneath dark cloaks.
Only their weapons could be seen.
One carried a massive sword.
Another held twin daggers.
One wielded a crimson staff.
The last rested a spear upon his shoulder.
The man with the staff laughed.
"Oh?"
"The young master of the Kaelthron Family still refuses to stay down."
Another figure spoke.
"You people..."
"...always interfere."
"What is it with your family?"
"If you stopped playing the righteous heroes for even one day..."
"...would it kill you?"
Ivan lowered his head.
Then—
He laughed.
A quiet laugh.
He slowly stood.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Righteous?"
He shook his head.
"You've misunderstood something."
The four figures frowned.
Ivan smiled.
"My family..."
"...has never claimed to be righteous."
Silence.
The man holding the spear narrowed his eyes.
"Have you finished talking?"
Ivan stretched his neck.
A loud crack echoed.
Then he looked at them.
"So..."
"...are you scared of getting beaten by a kid?"
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
The man with the sword stepped forward.
"Kill him."
The four figures moved simultaneously.
The ground exploded beneath their feet.
They rushed toward Ivan.
At that exact moment—
Ivan smiled.
Then quietly muttered,
"You know..."
The four figures were almost upon him.
"...my brother always tells me something."
Lightning began dancing around his body.
Tiny sparks became violent storms.
The heavens rumbled.
Rain instantly evaporated.
The attackers slowed.
Instinct screamed at them.
Danger.
Ivan slowly raised his head.
His golden eyes shone like lightning itself.
"...if someone wants to kill you..."
The sky split apart.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A pillar of lightning erupted from Ivan's body.
The entire valley was swallowed by blinding white light.
Ivan smiled.
"...don't let them regret it."
End Chapter