Chapter 459: A Hopeless Situation
—
It was chaos.
Everything was asunder, destruction was the only thing that was visible from all across the universe.
Stars winked out, and galaxies scattered as entities far beyond this realm fought each other to death.
In the heart of this cosmic battlefield, where the fate of universes hung in the balance, the clash between the Director and the Primordial God was reaching its peak.
The Director, her powers amplified by the Boosted Gear's Dynamo Unleash, was now attacking the Primordial both with spells and physically.
To Neji's discomfort, she was transformed into A white tiger within that red dragon armor, which reminded him of Kimi. But his discomfort wasn't important now, he and the others only wished to survive.
The Director was now a titan too, as she sent a barrage of grand spells, each more powerful than the last. While her fists collided with the gigantic Primordial, who was still using only three of his arms.
"Astral Comet Cascade…!" She cast, and instead of mere meteorites, distant galaxies rushed toward this place to rain down on the Red God.
It was a spell that boosted the power of these ethereal stars, as each was imbued with the force of a thousand supernovas.
Yet, the crimson deity stood fine. That level of damage didn't even tickle his skin.
Undeterred, the Director shifted tactics. With great concentration, she cast her specialized time spells, "Chrono Stasis."
Time paused for everyone, and even the Buddha slowed down slightly. However, the Primordial barely slowed down. It was as if he was walking through a strong wind and his movements were a little sluggish.
"Void… Shield," he chanted, and a black shin appeared around his body. Instantly, the sluggish effect vanished. The shield blocked the time stasis.
With a click of her tongue, the Director canceled the spell. At this rate the others will only be caught in their attacks and die, so she had to cancel it.
The cosmic battlefield, already a theater of unimaginable forces, was on the verge of an irreversible cataclysm.
The fight continued, and zillions died. Galaxies fell due to this clash as life in all the planets saw stars blinking out and the sky being painted with the light of this battle. Until the battle engulfed them and they were erased.
At one point, the Director let out a sigh and drew upon the depths of her arcane mastery, unleashed her ultimate spell.
"Anti Verse: Blast Asunder."
A beam of incalculable cosmic power erupted, tearing through space with the fury of a billion suns, aimed directly at the Primordial God.
For a moment, the battlefield held its breath. Usually, that beam could end a couple of megaverses with ease. Buddha and the other Abstracts, even Life and Death, were keeping this universe held together. There was no need to cause any unnecessary damage here.
Yet, they were sure the beam would end this universe if it was left unattended.
The beam, a lance of pure destruction, hurtled towards the Primordial God with the certainty of annihilation. But then, in a display of power that defied belief, the Primordial God unfolded all four of his arms, moving with a grace that belied his colossal form.
He clasped the bean between his hands, the energy crackling and writhing as if alive, pushing against his hold. Then, with a motion that stunned all onlookers, the Primordial God brought the energy to his mouth and... consumed it.
The Verse Busting blast was extinguished as effortlessly as one would blow out a candle.
The Director's face was a mask of shock and disbelief, filled with frustration. She could barely comprehend the scene before her.
The raw display of power was beyond anything she, or anyone else anticipated.
Before she could recover from the shock and try another, the Primordial God acted.
"That is enough fighting," In a blur of motion that transcended the very concept of speed, he appeared beside the Director.
His fist was like a cosmic hammer that struck her in the side with a force that shattered reality itself. While the beam hadn't shattered the universe, this punch did. The reality around them cracked and broke, fracturing like glass under the strain of the impact.
In an instant, they were no longer within the confines of a single universe. Around them, a cloud of universe particles swirled, The remnants of a universe undone by the Primordial's strike. While bubbles of other universes flowed around them.
They were in a higher realm, in the heart of a multiverse.
It was a beautiful scenery. With realities clustering together to form bubbles. The previous universe was now mere dust. Uncountable universes bubbles, each that held trillions of life within themselves, floated in the void like celestial ornaments. Their colors merged and danced, creating a mesmerizing display of cosmic artistry. Yet, the awe-inspiring scene was marred by the grim reality of his situation.
But Neji couldn't enjoy it, he was in no position to.
The Director, hurled through this void of shattered realities, struggled to maintain her form and consciousness and was sent flying from sight.
Neji watched this display in terror as the Primordial God demonstrated a level of power that was beyond anything he had seen. The battle had taken a turn toward bad, where the fate of entire multiverses hung on this single colossal being.
"We're doomed," he muttered.
He had been [Boosting] every ten seconds since the battle started, but… he doubted he'd be of any help. Even the soldiers in golden armor were stronger than him.
Neji has grown a lot. Faster than ever. He was the only one in reality who had come this far in less than two year's grinding.
But, it was not enough.
He was at a dead end.
He had received mang intervention and help from higher beings before, but now those higher beings were on a tight spot. This was the worst situation ever.
"...." In a moment's hope, he turned to one of the universe bubbles floating around. It was the size of a building, but he felt like he could destroy it.
Raising his hand toward it, he clutched his palm around empty air. He called forth his power of [Omnipotence]. "Burst."
The command took effect, and the bubble burst. There must have been thousands of super strong entities there, so he hoped to level up.
But, that didn't happen.
[Ding! At this point, it's like stepping on an ant colony. You have received exp, but it's not enough to level up.]
Goddammit.
He had no choice but to fight enemies who were Multiveral or beyond to grow from this point forward. But everyone around him was too strong for him to kill. He needed someone in the middle, but there was none.
"Looks like you're stuck," the Primordial God's voice flowed to his ears. The giant was crossing his arms and looking at him. "Shall I end your misery?"
The fight all around was going the same, the Godmother of all Demons matched the Buddha equally, and the others were busy by themselves. Neji only had Nejire, in the form of Eclipsia, who stood in front of him like a pillar. But Neji knew she would be no match for the entity ahead.
"Alright," the Primordial opened his jaws wide. A light shone on his throat, the same power that ended the Hero Academia universe began to prepare against Neji.
The air crackled with an ominous energy as the Primordial God's jaws gaped wide, revealing a chasm that seemed to devour light itself.
Within his throat, a terrifying radiance built up, building a beam of unimaginable destruction.
"[Primordial Genesis Stream]...!"
The reality narrated its name as the force that could obliterate entire universes built up to obliterate Neji.
The Godmother tried to come and save him, but the Buddha kept her busy. Same with Lady Life and Lady Luck, who were entangled in their own fights. Only Nejire stood in front of him, preparing to defend him with her death.
Neji's heart pounded in his chest, each beat a thunderous echo in the silent void. He cast many kinds of shields around him from the few spells he knew, the bloodline Abilities he had, and the Divinities he mined.
Yet, he knew as much as anyone else that the beam would be his end.
His mind raced for solutions, but he only found himself ensnared in despair.
The Primordial God unleashed the attack. The "Primordial Genesis Stream" rushed forward. A beam of pure, unadulterated hungry energy surged forward, a torrent of destruction that tore through the fabric of the cosmos itself. Its rushed to its target, Neji.
In this moment of absolute peril, a figure stepped forward. No, it has been standing over him all this time.
It was Ra, the Life Golem, his colossal wooden frame moving with a purpose that defied his usual emotionless existence.
"R-Ra? Ra, no! Step back!" Lady Life's voice echoed through the void, a cry of maternal desperation. She reached out, but Ra was beyond her grasp. "It's an order!"
"....Order overwritten, apologies mother." the Golem declared, his voice resonant and unwavering. His fist curled into a punch that he sent forward. Just like last time. "Must. Protect. Father." With these words, he positioned himself between Neji and the oncoming tidal wave of annihilation, and threw forward a punch.
"Billion Sun's Pyrocosmic Purge."
The Primordial Genesis Beam collided with Ra's glowing fist in a blinding explosion of light and energy. The impact happened and ended in just a second, their clash on a scale that surpassed time. The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the bubbles of universes, causing dozens to burst at once.
For a moment, everything stood still.
When the light dimmed, Golem Ra stood no more. What remained was a shattered form, pieces of the once mighty guardian drifting in the cosmic wind. He had given everything, even his existence, to protect Neji. But, at least, he had succeeded.
"No…"
In the distance, Lady Life fell to her knees and, in that short moment, Lord Limitless flashed a sword through her neck. The entity Life's head rolled on the ground.
Neji, shielded by Ra's ultimate sacrifice, was speechless, his eyes wide with shock and grief. The sight of Ra's destruction ignited a fury within him, a burning desire to fight against the impossible odds.
But desire was one thing, ability another.
"NO!" Death let out a grieving shout at her sister's headless body, that was turning into green particles of light, and that single shout caused universes to blink out. The Death Icon shimmered and consumed.
"It's alright," Godmother said. "She'll be back. She's an Abstract, she won't die."
"B-but her memories!"
"My Samsara Icon can take care of that front, focus on the fight."
Neji didn't know if Godmother really meant it or if she was just trying to console Death, but he chose to believe it. Despite not knowing each other for long, Neji was immensely grateful to Lady Life and her son.
He grabbed the half shattered green orb that was remaining of the Life Golem. If it'd be possible in the future, he'd like to bring the entity back.
He tried to deposit in his inventory, but it didn't open.
"Give it here," Nejire took it and pushed it in her body. Her slime body acted as her inventory, so it easily deposited there.
"Thanks."
"I didn't do anything."
The Primordial hadn't attacked again. He could, but he enjoyed Neji's grief. He was smirking at Neji now as he spoke, "Pity, but I can't enjoy seeing your sadness for long. Allow me to finish you."
"Rejected," the Director appeared behind the Primordial. She was grinning at Neji as her gigantic form tightly grabbed the Red God from behind, locking him in place. "Let's see if you can survive this."
"You—!"
The Primordial tried to elbow her, and it connected. But instead of groaning in pain, Her form shimmered and then burst into a million smaller versions of herself, each a miniature replica. The dolls stuck to his body like sticky bombs, and the Primordial rumbled around to take them off.
Just then, a human sized director formed in the air in front of the Primordial and she spun her staff to cast a spell. Chains made out of green, time energy rushed out of the air and locked the Primordial.
He struggled more, but he couldn't free himself. But each tiny Director was strong enough to not fall off. They clung to him, their energy signatures pulsating like stars on the verge of supernova.
Then, the cosmos lit up. Each doll-sized Director detonated in a million series of explosions, engulfing the Primordial God in a cataclysmic light. The force of the collective blast was monumental; bubbles after bubbles of universes vanished in the aftermath of a desperate attempt to eradicate the cosmic entity.
Each doll could take out universes; that was worth 200 billion trillion stars, and there were a million dolls that blasted on his body.
Primordial God trembled and groaned in pain, but he didn't fall. His power beyond comprehension allowed him to withstand the onslaught. Amidst the blinding light, he reached into the void, his hand closing around something unseen.
"Come," he ordered reality as the light faded and the human sized Director was teleported to his hand, growing bigger to help him clutch her throat better.
Her face, once filled with determination, was now filled with pain.
With a merciless grip, the Primordial God held her by the throat, lifting her as if she were no more than a doll. The explosions continued but the Primordial didn't flinch.
His mouth opened wide, revealing the chasm of his mouth. "–Genesis Stream!" He fired the beam that ended realities, of pure, destructive energy into her face.
The Director's magic shield blocked it.
"Primordial Genesis Stream!" He fired again declared, and the beam surged forward, striking the Director with relentless force.
Once, twice, thrice – the beams hit her, each one breaking through her shields, her armor, each blast more devastating than the last. Her face filled with resolve began to melt under the unyielding assault.
Her star-like appearance began to melt. The stars began to blink out and her real skin revealed underneath. Milky white skin along with vibrant, blonde hair. Her blue eyes were just as Neji remembered, and he also recognised the small beauty mark near her lip that was more than a mere beauty mark.
Whatever the case was, even if she was not his Kimi, she was the originator of her Avatar. She was the person who could help her bring Kimi back, if Kimi truly was an Avatar. But she was dying right now.
"–Stream!" Her skull, exposed to the raw energy, started to disintegrate. Her eyes flickered to look at him one last time.
'I… am… ah… So…rry….'
Ler lips barely formed.
'Young… master.'
The Director of the Last Act, whoever she was, just died.
Perhaps she would have put up a better fight if she was alone, against the Primordial alone. Not only were there weaker allies to keep an eye out for and protect, but she also had strong enemies besides the Primordial. Lastly, she wasn't prepared for this – as she had said. However, those only sounded like excuses around her dead body.
"NO!" Neji ran. He kicked the empty air and rushed toward the Primordial. But the Godmother of All Demons grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back.
"Don't die meaninglessly," she said.
Neji yelled at her to release him, his mind failing to realize that, if he couldn't even free himself from her, he was no match for that Red Deity.
"Let… let her go!" At last, Contessa Fate leaped into action. To save the Director. The Primordial God didn't even bother to stop his beams; while he fired beams from his mouth at the Director, his eyes flicked to look at Fate. His eyes shot out two thin beams that rushed forward and cut Fate into a dozen pieces. Her body fell and began to turn into a pink light; dying and preparing to reincarnate into a new Contessa Fate.
"You guys…. escape," Mistress Death stepped forward and said. "Teleportation is impossible right now since they're all blocking it, but I'll make space. Don't waste this chance."
"I won't," the Godmother and began to teleport.
"W-wait-! Nejire and Luck!"
"Ugh."
The Godmother stopped and looked at Eclipsia and Luck. Luck was staring at the empty air where her sister had just died, but Eclipsia grabbed her quickly and ran beside Godmother.
"At least someone has common sense," the Progenitor of All Demons said as she locked eyes with the Primordial who just finished blasting the Director, dropping her body into a pile of ash.
"Don't you run, Lili," the Primordial said in a threatening tone, and the Godmother just laughed it off.
"Or else what would you do, brother? You are aware you cannot take my life." she said and with a snap of her finger, she tried to teleport.
Her willpower clashed with the enemies else present here; with both the Buddha whose body was half broken, and with the Primordial God himself. But even so, her will was the strongest.
Being as old as she was, and having lived zillions of lives on top of that, her mental strength was unmatched.
Still, Godmother would have been unable to escape if Mistress Death hadn't jumped at Buddha. Beginning to punch the shit out of him, as if to take revenge for everything until now.
Godmother blinked out of existence, as did Eclipsia, Lady Luck, and Neji on her arms. To stay out of their enemies' radar, she decided to go to a deranged place.
Where existed imaginary Eldritch Horrors and broken, forgotten worlds. A world formed from draft novels that were never published. A realm where all life was half dead. They appeared in the broken corner of a Hyperverse.
**
**
**
Master4thWall Note: Another sunday. Don't forget to vote guys, last month going strong.🖐️😞
Read the next chapter right away, along with an entire month's worth, ahead in my Patreon.
Link: Patreon.com/Master4thWall