Some once asked: How long would it take to prepare a planet for extraction?
To that, the Galaxy Rangers had an answer:
Not long at all.
As long as the people of the planet bore witness—and experienced no destabilizing shocks—the whole operation could be completed within hours.
One after another, glowing chains extended from the Ranger ships. They looked frail, ethereal—like they might snap at any moment—but each one burrowed deep into the planet's surface, anchoring with unwavering precision.
As the ship engines ignited, the chains pulled taut—yet not a single one broke.
And so, the trade planet began to move.
Under the combined thrust of thousands of ships, it slowly shifted forward—dragged through space like a celestial arrow notched into an equally divine bow.
Within moments, it was streaking across the stars—its trajectory no different from any interstellar cruiser.
It was a miracle, something not even the minds of the Genius Society could've imagined—much less executed.
Yet here it was. Real.
The planet, bathed in white light, hurtled away from the zone of annihilation.
Inside the flagship, Bu Yi turned to the source of this plan—the person he still couldn't quite believe had suggested it.
"So how'd you come up with this insane idea?" he asked Boothill, his eyes narrowed.
"You stabilized the planet with the power of the Hunt... then yanked the whole damn thing with tethers?"
A plan like that wasn't just improbable—it was straight-up absurd.
And yet… it worked.
To Bu Yi, it felt like they'd turned the ship into a bow, the chains into bowstrings—and the planet itself into an arrow.
An arrow holding thirty-five billion lives.
And the most absurd part? It was working flawlessly.
Honestly, whoever came up with this plan ought to go apply for the Genius Society. They'd get in, no question.
"Hahaha! Can't believe it, huh?" Boothill laughed, pleased with himself.
Bu Yi nodded. "Yeah. It's nuts."
Then Boothill dropped a bomb:
"Hell, I can't believe it either. I didn't come up with it."
Bu Yi froze.
Boothill grinned. "Swear on my bullet belt. Wasn't me. Didn't you notice you're missing someone aboard?"
"You mean—Sora?!"
Only then did Bu Yi realize—Sora hadn't shown up since the operation started.
He'd assumed the kid was resting, recovering from everything he'd been through.
After all, the battle at Camille's core was brutal. Even a Galaxy Ranger's spirit should've been spent after something like that.
But—
"Yup. Took off with one of your personal skiffs, too."
Bu Yi's stomach dropped. "He went back?!"
Boothill nodded toward the growing blaze behind them—toward the ever-expanding Day of Destruction.
"Kid looked different," he muttered. "Felt different. Can't really explain it. Just a feeling…"
He scratched his head and laughed. "Bah, probably just me talking nonsense."
Bu Yi rushed to the terminal and accessed the skiff logs.
There it was—confirmation that one of his ships had detached and departed. Somehow, Sora had even bypassed the security codes.
How did he even know the password? Bu Yi thought.
Before he could investigate further, a communication request popped up.
He opened it.
The screen flickered—revealing the trembling surface of the trade planet, still moving at incredible speed.
"Is something wrong?" Bu Yi asked.
"Apologies, Galaxy Ranger," the voice replied smoothly. "This is actually our first direct contact… It's an honor."
The man was being overly polite—clearly working his way to something.
Then he got to the point.
"We were hoping to speak with the Messenger of the Hunt."
Bu Yi blinked. Messenger?
Did they mean a representative from the Xianzhou, like General Jing Yuan?
That made no sense. Jing Yuan wouldn't come without the entire Luofu mobilizing.
This evacuation had come together thanks to a single bullet from the Galaxy Rangers. There was no way a Messenger of the Hunt was among them.
But the man on the call saw Bu Yi's confusion and pressed on.
"I'm referring to the one who slashed the Day of Destruction—the one who carved open that impossible rupture."
He hesitated, then asked delicately:
"…Would the honored Messenger be willing to meet with us?"
Bu Yi opened his mouth to deny it outright—
But then stopped.
One person had left his ship.
One person had returned to the inferno.
It couldn't be… could it?
Zzzt!
Suddenly, a blinding arrow of light streaked past the fleet—piercing through star after star.
Bu Yi felt its aura.
That familiar, relentless force that hunted its prey to the ends of the galaxy.
He knew what it was instantly.
"…Lan has loosed the arrow," he murmured.
The Aeon of the Hunt had fired their divine shot.
And it was aimed at this region of space.
Coincidence?
Bu Yi didn't think so.
Something massive was happening behind them.
---
The Holy Blades surrounded Sora, clearing a path through the burning cosmos.
He surged forward, pushing through the Day of Destruction's flames—leaving the blinding light behind him.
The power of omniscience allowed him to withstand it—to keep moving deeper.
He was gaining on the core.
Then came another surge.
The Fifth Flashburst.
Sora didn't flinch. He raised his sword.
Once again, he cut it down.
Vmmm—!
The lightning collapsed. The Day of Destruction froze in place.
The expansion halted, but the energy began to destabilize.
Omniscience answered his question immediately.
Even with the bursts interrupted, when the seventh came—it would all explode.
The only difference was scale.
Instead of wiping out thousands of light-years, it would now only consume a few.
That was already an incredible win.
"Good thing I had them evacuate the planet," Sora muttered.
Even at this reduced range, the trade planet would've been vaporized.
Which is why—from the moment he gained this power—he'd chosen this path.
Move the planet. Minimize the loss.
Now that part was handled.
His job wasn't done yet.
Above his head, the light of his sword glowed brighter than ever—guiding him forward.
He surged toward the core—toward what remained of Planet Camille, now nothing more than stardust.
But he had to reach it.
No matter the cost.
Beside him, a radiant dragon of swirling colors flanked him—carrying him at breakneck speed.
The power of the galaxy fueled them both. The ten Holy Blades surrounded them, flying in formation.
And then—
Another wave.
The Sixth Flashburst, arriving too soon after the fifth.
The energy around him surged—denser, more volatile.
He was close. Too close.
This was it—the very heart of destruction.
The next wave struck like a tangible shockwave, barreling toward him.
Sora responded instantly.
He thrust the Xross Saber into the Swordriver.
Every tome, every story, poured into him.
"[Haou iai]!"
"[Blade King Super Flash]!"
"HA!"
He roared and unleashed the slash.
A rainbow arc burst outward, nebulae swirling around his strike.
The sixth Flashburst dissolved beneath its radiance.
VMMMMMMM—
The destruction energy began to fracture.
Once the seventh wave finished…
The Day of Destruction would no longer expand.
It would detonate.
The blast would incinerate everything within light-years.
Time was running out.
I need to move—now!
Sora pushed forward. The dragon wasn't fast enough anymore.
So he drew two more Wonder Ride Books from his belt—and slammed them into the driver.
[Storm Eagle]
A giant bird whose arrival is heralded by tornadoes.
[Saiyuu Journey]
A monkey who sets out on a wondrous adventure.
"[Seiba Battou! Crimson Saber! Xross Saber Three! Gōka sansatsu]!"
Three crimson books flared open.
Their power surged into him.
Kamen Rider Xross Saber – Wonder Trio Form!
Dragon on his left shoulder. Eagle on his chest. Monkey on his right.
All of them cloaked in galactic brilliance.
Their combined power rocketed him forward.
Faster. Hotter. Brighter.
He thrust the sword skyward—cleaving a path open ahead of him.
The deeper he flew, the hotter it became.
But the fantastical beasts around him didn't burn. They thrived, drawing strength from the blaze.
FWOOOSH!
Sora streaked through the inferno with such speed that space cracked around him.
And then—he saw it.
The core.
The liquid heart of the Day of Destruction—a swirling mass of energy on the verge of collapse.
At its center, trembling violently, was the crystalline seed that Nanook had left behind.
The catalyst of all this ruin.
The Seventh Flashburst was coming.
Sora didn't slow down.
He slammed into the core—and grabbed the crystal with his bare hands.
SSSSSH!
Agony. Heat. Burning pain.
The power pouring from the seed nearly seared through his fingers.
His grip faltered.
But if he let go now—if he so much as loosened his fingers—the final Flashburst would release.
The explosion would destroy everything.
So—
Sora pulled out one last book.
He wrote a single line.
"Until the final story is finished, Hoshigaki Sora cannot die."