It was never as simple as it seemed.
Even for Reed, standing before Tali—the God of Death herself—was no easy feat. Her movements were beyond comprehension, vanishing and reappearing faster than thought. To follow her was impossible.
But to stop her? That, he could do.
With a sharp exhale, Reed extended his hand.
"—Scatter."
A rift tore open in the air, and from it burst tens of thousands of blades. They streaked forth like living serpents of steel, weaving through the fractured space and closing in on Tali's shifting form.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike met the twin daggers in Tali's hands. She parried, spun, and retreated, the ground cracking beneath her feet as she regained distance.
In moments, the vast chamber had become a forest of floating swords, each one shimmering with divine light.
Tali narrowed her eyes. "You've gathered quite the collection. I suppose you weren't in any position to accuse me of hiding my strength."
The swords glimmered with something deeper than steel—souls.
Every blade that floated in the air carried its own will. They were no ordinary weapons; they were once gods, enslaved and sealed within metal through Reed's forbidden art.
Each had been a being of power, pride, and legend. Now they were bound, subservient, condemned to obey Reed's command until oblivion.
And they obeyed without hesitation.
Thousands of them.
Tali's expression darkened. To charge into their midst would be suicide.
'Insane,' she thought. 'He's turned gods into slaves.'
Still, she could see the flaw. Reed was leaning on borrowed strength. Such reliance betrayed a weakness.
If she could break through, even once, victory would be hers.
"Then I'll simply clear the way," she murmured.
Power gathered in her palms. The daggers crossed, forming an X before her chest.
"Perish."
A single swing split the air—no, the very fabric of existence.
The energy cleaved through the storm of blades, erasing everything caught in its path. The air rippled with death.
And in that instant, she was upon him.
Tali thrust forward, aiming straight for Reed's heart. "You die here."
The world froze.
A flash of blue steel intercepted her strike with a metallic cry.
Clang—!
Her eyes widened. "Blocked?"
Reed's voice was calm, almost cold. "Did you think I spent these ten thousand years merely gathering souls?"
The thousands of blades that filled the chamber began to dissolve into streams of light. One by one, they flowed into Reed's body, fusing with his essence.
The air grew heavy. His presence deepened into something crushing—an overwhelming tide that warped the atmosphere itself.
'This pressure…' Tali thought, staggering back. 'He's absorbing them!'
Before she could counter, a golden pattern spread from Reed's left hand. A sword appeared there—its hilt carved with runes of sealing, its blade wrapped in radiant gold.
Tali's pupils narrowed. She recognized it instantly.
'Krun…'
The Guardian and Sealer—one of the three founding Lords of the Space Council.
Reed's voice was a quiet echo. "Block her down."
From the air, shimmering tendrils extended, latching onto Tali's aura like living chains. Her movements halted.
Reed stepped closer, his blade raised. "It's over, Reaper."
Tali laughed softly, bitterly. "...So this is how it ends."
The blade fell.
A single clean stroke.
Her head separated from her body, dissolving into mist.
Far across the stars, in the uppermost realm of the heavens—Daeracheon—the highest domain of the celestial world trembled.
Once, it had been a place of unimaginable glory, home to immortals revered across countless galaxies: the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the Queen Mother of the West, the Jade Emperor himself.
Now, its survivors hid among ruins.
Inside a thatched hut, the Primordial Heavenly Lord stared at the dim flame of a lantern. His once-proud face was drawn and weary.
"It was arrogance," he muttered. "We were nothing more than frogs in a well."
The words hung heavy in the still air.
They had believed Daeracheon and the celestial realm were invincible—that they could soon conquer the entire universe. But the universe had proven vast and merciless.
When Lee Seong-jun—the Demon God—was cast back in time through the fracture of fate, they had not been afraid. They thought he would return quickly.
He never did.
Instead came invaders from the void—powerful beings who coveted the myths and legacies of the gods. The immortals of Daeracheon resisted valiantly, their strength rivaling that of supreme deities. Yet, one by one, they fell.
Their numbers dwindled to less than half. Even Daeracheon itself, their shining citadel, was taken. Now they were fugitives, driven from their home.
All because of one war.
The war against the Space Council.
And the most bitter truth of all—
The Council had never even fought seriously.
"They toyed with us," the Primordial Lord whispered. "We were their game."
Silence lingered until the Jade Emperor finally spoke. "Not everyone has fallen."
The others looked up. They knew who he meant.
"Lee Seong-jun," the Queen Mother said quietly.
The Jade Emperor nodded. "He destroyed Gaia herself. If the Demon God still lives, then hope still exists for us."
The Primordial Lord frowned. "You're suggesting we seek his protection?"
"He showed compassion before," the Jade Emperor insisted. "He may do so again. If we can reach Galaxy 2167, if we can return to him, we might survive this extinction."
It was a dangerous thought—but also the only one that made sense.
A god who had slain Gaia would be beyond the reach of the Council or the Dragon God's Apostles.
But the Primordial Lord's voice was heavy with doubt. "Can you even be sure he's still alive? That he hasn't perished along with her?"
The Jade Emperor's eyes gleamed faintly. "I can."
He lifted his hand. A faint glow shimmered between his fingers—a golden ring, pulsing softly.
"The divine rings are still linked. Through them, I can sense him. The time distortion has stabilized. Lee Seong-jun lives."
The hut fell silent again, this time with something close to awe.
The Jade Emperor's tone turned solemn. "But reaching him will cost us dearly. Even at full speed, the journey to Galaxy 2167 would take years. We can shorten it with our divine arts, but only if we risk everything. The war between the Council, Gaia's lost followers, and the Dragon God's Apostles rages across the cosmos. The path will not be easy."
The Queen Mother hesitated. "And if we fail?"
"Then we die anyway," the Jade Emperor said simply. "The Council will eventually find us. The new powers will show no mercy. This chaos is our only chance. If we wish to live, we must move now."
The Primordial Lord closed his eyes. "…Then it's decided."
The Queen Mother of the West nodded, her voice quiet. "It will be a long road home."
"Gather the remaining gods," the Jade Emperor ordered. "We depart for Galaxy 2167 at once."
Outside, the stars trembled. Somewhere far beyond, in a forgotten dimension, the Demon God stirred once more.