Akamatsu channeled the golden energy, weaving together the shattered remnants of existence. The void trembled as lost timelines flickered back into reality, threads of past and present intertwining at his command. He was close—so close—to restoring everything he had undone.
Then, a chill ran down his spine.
A shadow moved within the void, deeper than the abyss itself. A sinister force surged through the fractures of time, something ancient, something malevolent. Before Akamatsu could react, a blinding pain erupted in his left eye.
SLASH.
A clawed hand wreathed in pure darkness struck him, tearing through his perception. He staggered back, gripping his face as crimson energy bled into the nothingness. His vision blurred, but he could see it—him.
The Devil.
Towering, wreathed in writhing darkness, the entity exuded an aura of utter malevolence. The void twisted at its presence, as if the fabric of existence itself recoiled in terror.
"Foolish child," the Devil's voice echoed, deep and resonant. "You dare to undo my masterpiece? You dare defy entropy itself?"
Akamatsu gritted his teeth, golden energy flaring around him as he forced himself to stand. His body trembled, his left eye searing with unbearable pain. He could feel the corruption sinking into him, a dark force attempting to root itself in his very soul.
"I will not let you take this from me," Akamatsu growled, his voice laced with defiance.
The Devil's laughter was a slow, rumbling quake through the void. "You misunderstand, Akamatsu. You do not restore—you replace. You do not create—you corrupt."
Akamatsu clenched his fists. He had felt limitless before, but now, a force even greater than himself stood in his path. If he failed here, the void would remain broken, his friends forever lost.
Golden energy crackled around him as he raised his hand, preparing to strike. But the Devil only grinned, revealing fangs as black as the abyss.
"Let's see how much of a god you truly are."
With that, the battle began.
The Devil struck first, its form shifting like liquid darkness. Tendrils lashed out, seeking to consume Akamatsu whole. He dodged, moving with a speed beyond light, but the darkness followed. For every movement he made, the Devil matched it effortlessly, as though he had already foreseen Akamatsu's every action.
Akamatsu countered with a wave of golden energy, reality itself bending to his will. The attack collided with the Devil's form, but instead of disintegrating, the darkness absorbed it, twisting the golden light into something sinister. Akamatsu's eyes widened—this being wasn't just powerful. It was adaptable.
"Your power is impressive," the Devil admitted, circling Akamatsu like a predator. "But you rely too much on raw force. Power without understanding is nothing but wasted potential."
Akamatsu scowled. He knew he couldn't afford to underestimate this enemy. He had fought countless battles, annihilated entire legions of monsters, and rewritten the very fabric of time itself. But this? This was something else entirely.
The Devil lunged again, claws aimed at Akamatsu's chest. He blocked with a shield of pure energy, but the impact sent shockwaves through the void, shaking the fragile remnants of the timelines he was trying to restore.
Akamatsu gritted his teeth. This isn't just a fight for survival. This is a fight for reality itself.
Summoning all his strength, he unleashed Chrono Genesis, the power to restore what was lost. Golden chains of light erupted from his hands, anchoring themselves in the scattered fragments of existence. Slowly, his lost allies began to take shape—Ken, Simon, Mrs. Mi, Anji—each appearing like mirages on the brink of reality.
The Devil hissed, its form writhing in frustration. "No! You will not defy me!"
Darkness surged, consuming the space between them. Akamatsu struggled against the pull, but the force was immense. His eye throbbed painfully, the corruption inside him growing stronger.
"If I let this continue... I'll lose myself," he realized. But if I stop now, everything will be lost.
There was only one way forward. He had to push beyond his limits.
Closing his eyes, Akamatsu reached deeper into his power than ever before. He had transcended gods, rewritten fate, and defied death itself. Now, he would surpass even that.
A surge of unimaginable energy coursed through him, and in that moment, he became something new—something neither divine nor mortal. His corrupted eye ignited with a fusion of golden light and black fire, the balance of creation and destruction converging into a single, infinite force.
His voice boomed across the void, filled with unshakable resolve. "I am Akamatsu, the one who decides what will and will not be!"
The void trembled. The Devil hesitated. And then, Akamatsu struck with all the force of an unstoppable cosmic force.