The moment Ignar crumbled into ash, the world seemed to exhale. The sky brightened further, and a cool, gentle breeze replaced the suffocating heat that had dominated the Burning Abyss for so long. Hikaru stood amidst the transformed landscape, the now-frozen rivers of lava glittering like fractured diamonds under the clear sunlight.
He stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Man, I should've gotten into the god-fighting business ages ago. Feels good to stretch my legs."
Lira, still catching her breath, couldn't decide whether to gape at Hikaru or slap him for his nonchalance. "You… you just defeated one of the most dangerous beings in Astraleon like it was nothing. Do you even understand what you've just accomplished?"
Hikaru looked at her, blinking in mock confusion. "Uh, yeah. I saved the day. Hero stuff. Should I expect a parade?"
"A parade?" she spluttered. "You didn't just win a village festival contest! You toppled a god—a being who has terrorized this world for centuries!"
"Exactly," he said, giving her a thumbs-up. "So, about that parade…"
Lira closed her eyes, massaging her temples. "How are you this infuriating?"
Hikaru turned toward the horizon, a serious expression creeping onto his face. "Hey, I get it, Lira. This is a big deal. But for me? It's just another Wednesday."
"Wednesday?"
"Never mind," he muttered, shaking his head.
Before she could question him further, the ground began to tremble. This time, the shaking wasn't born of Ignar's fiery fury, but something deeper, more foreboding. The air grew heavy, the breeze vanishing as the world seemed to hold its breath.
Lira stiffened. "No… this is wrong. Ignar's fall should've stabilized this region. Why is there—"
A piercing scream tore through the stillness, high and keening, like a thousand voices crying out in terror. It came from nowhere and everywhere, reverberating in their very bones. Hikaru instinctively stepped in front of Lira, scanning the area for the source.
"Okay, that's creepy. Do gods normally leave horror movie soundtracks behind when they die?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light.
"This isn't normal," Lira whispered, her face pale. "The Tyrant Gods are connected, but they never… react like this to each other's defeat."
The air above them shimmered, and a swirl of dark clouds began to gather. From the blackened vortex, a faint, otherworldly laughter drifted down, cold and mocking.
"Ah, so the light goddess found a pawn willing to dirty his hands."
The voice was smooth and venomous, like silk laced with poison. Hikaru's gaze narrowed as a figure materialized from the storm. It was a man—or at least, it resembled one. His skin was pale and faintly luminescent, his dark armor adorned with jagged edges that seemed to drink in the light. Two cold, violet eyes peered out from beneath a crown of jagged crystal spikes.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the figure said, landing lightly on the ground as the storm subsided. "I am Zaryth, Herald of the Void, and you… are meddling in things far beyond your comprehension, mortal."
Hikaru crossed his arms, unfazed. "Zaryth, huh? Let me guess. Another one of the bad guys?"
Zaryth's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You could say that. Unlike Ignar, I'm not content to sit in my domain and burn things to ash. My master prefers subtlety and whispers in the shadows."
"Your master?" Lira gasped, stepping back. "You mean the Void God himself?"
Zaryth ignored her, his gaze locked on Hikaru. "You may have defeated Ignar, but brute force will not avail you against the Void's will. You cannot simply rewrite that which exists in the gaps between worlds."
"Oh yeah?" Hikaru's voice was casual, but his muscles tensed. "You're forgetting one thing, shiny guy. I don't play by your rules. Now, are you gonna talk all day, or do we get this over with?"
Zaryth's smile widened. "Eager to die, are you? Very well." He raised one hand, and shadows spilled forth like living ink, pooling at his feet and growing into a massive, undulating beast of claws and tendrils.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh great, a tentacle monster. Let me guess—you use this to mess with anime protagonists too?"
Lira groaned. "This is not the time for jokes!"
But Hikaru ignored her, stepping forward. The shadow beast lunged at him, its tentacles slicing through the air with blinding speed. He didn't flinch.
"Reality Override," Hikaru muttered, waving his hand.
The beast froze mid-attack, then began to unravel. Threads of shadow peeled away like unraveling fabric, revealing nothing but empty air beneath. Zaryth's smile faltered, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
"Impressive," the herald admitted. "But you're only toying with manifestations. Let's see how you fare against me."
Zaryth surged forward, faster than a lightning strike, and Hikaru barely dodged in time. The ground where he'd been standing erupted in shards of crystalized shadow, each jagged point radiating void energy.
"Whoa," Hikaru muttered, landing on a nearby rock. "Okay, you're fast. I'll give you that."
Zaryth appeared behind him in an instant, his sword slicing through the air. "And you're slow, mortal."
Hikaru smirked. "Slow? Guess I'd better speed things up, then."
With a flick of his fingers, the world seemed to grind to a halt. Zaryth froze mid-swing, his blade inches from Hikaru's neck.
"Chrono-Weaver," Hikaru said with a grin. "One of my personal favorites."
Stepping out of Zaryth's range, Hikaru released his hold on time. The herald's strike carved through empty air, and he stumbled forward, his composure cracking.
"How…?" Zaryth hissed, spinning to face him.
"You can't beat me," Hikaru said matter-of-factly. "Not you, not your boss, not anyone else on this godforsaken world. The sooner you figure that out, the better."
For the first time, genuine fury flashed in Zaryth's eyes. "You arrogant—"
"Shut up," Hikaru interrupted, snapping his fingers.
A surge of energy enveloped Zaryth, and in an instant, his form was sucked back into the storm above, his shriek of anger echoing until it vanished completely. The dark clouds dissipated, leaving the sky clear once more.
Lira stared at Hikaru, equal parts awe and disbelief on her face. "You… you banished him. Just like that."
Hikaru cracked his neck, brushing nonexistent dust off his shoulder. "Of course I did. I'm awesome, remember?"
Lira opened her mouth to retort but decided against it, simply shaking her head. "This journey is going to drive me insane."
Hikaru grinned. "Welcome to my world, Lira. Now, come on. Let's go find the next punching bag."