“What on earth do those old monsters keep in their heads?” Eli wore a faint smile and walked into the sea of fire, bare as a monk under stormlight.

Strangely, the blue flames didn’t harm him; they shrank back like frightened fish, slipping aside in a hush.

“Forget it. I can’t care that much. If I’m just a messenger, then before I carry your ‘mission,’ I’ll scatter your board.”

He stood in the void, blue light spilling off him like moonlight pooling on black water.

He hugged his long sword, eyes closed. A vast pull opened like a whirlpool, drawing in the surrounding energy, and the flames streamed into him like migrating birds.

The raging blaze refined down, turning into pure essence that kept pouring into his body like molten ore skimming to silver.

The Jade Seal Sword’s hilt shed a cold blue gleam, like frost etching steel.

After a breath, he drew the blade. His body tilted, and his right hand traced a sword-flower in the air, like a petal of light.

The fire in the space had already melted into him, vanishing like snow into a river.

Only then did he open his eyes. Pale-blue energy veiled them like thin ice, and a quiet majesty rose off him like incense from a hidden shrine. His long hair drifted as if alive, swaying like seaweed in a tide.

At length his body settled. He wore a white shirt like fresh snow and brown trousers like dry earth, and he stowed the sword.

Eli closed his eyes again.

He drew a white robe from the space and a butterfly mask that could cover his eyes, wings like dusk paper.

He looked at the mask, paused, then smiled and shook his head. “Funny. You were the one who gave me this.”

Behind him, the long sword chimed crisp and bright, like ice tapping porcelain.

He put on the robe, raised the hood, and set the mask. He turned toward the Universe’s Heart—now an empty shell—and bowed with quiet grace. “Thank you… goodbye.”

He lifted his left hand and tore a rift in the air like silk ripping, then clasped his hands behind his back and walked through, calm as drifting fog.

By now he was no longer ordinary; he had reached that edge. When his body could merge into the universe like water into sea, he would surpass Zero.

The Universe’s Heart had said:

If even it fell asleep, then outside should already be in upheaval, churned by those three primal beings like a world turned over.

Space storms kept lashing at him like sand squalls, but a pale light-screen before him shrugged them off like rain against glass.

He weighed the long sword in his hand. “What did the Universe’s Heart finally entrust to the Jade Seal Sword? So secretive.”

Before it dissolved into sleep, it had sought him out once, and fused a strange cluster of energy into the Jade Seal Sword, saying it would boost its might.

He’d treated it like idle talk.

Now, yes, it nagged at him like a burr under silk.

“Anything feel off?” Eli asked softly.

The sword swayed, saying all was well, like a reed nodding in wind.

He let the thought go, and looked for a way to join the fight outside, heart steady like a drum.

“I’ll end everything.” He smiled and stepped out of the rift.

The instant his face appeared, a huge hand woven from holy energies came for his cheek like a cathedral’s shadow swinging down.

Its caster realized she’d struck the wrong person and shouted, urgent as a bell, “Dodge!”

…………………………

“Damn it. Ambush.” Yulia clutched the wound on her arm, eyes burning like stormclouds, glaring at the man who palmed darkness like night condensed.

“You… you jerk.” Her anger flared like flint.

He smiled with playfulness sharp as a blade. He dropped from the air like a hawk, and tilted her chin up with a casual hook of his hand.

“Hey, Father said no swearing. And you’re at it again.”

“Hands off! I’m your sister!” Yulia gritted her teeth, glare cold as winter water.

“Oh? Do we even share blood?” His mouth bent with a wicked curve. “Yulia, Yulia, you just don’t get it. In a straight fight, you’re not even a match for one finger of mine. How could you battle Ghoulia? You’re a support-type lifeform at best.”

Edward stepped closer with a smile like smoke.

“I don’t need your fake kindness. Who knows what venom you hide.” Her voice trembled like a bowstring. “I’m there crafting beings, and you? You only know kill, kill, kill. Life is scarce in this world as it is. Without me, how would you meet Father’s quota?”

“Yulia.” Edward sighed, a long wind through pines. “After so many crusades, you still don’t grasp one truth.”

“If you hold no power, you’ll always be a vassal.”

“I can protect you. I can let you craft in peace. If it were Ghoulia attacking you, you’d already be ashes on the wind.”

“But Ghoulia’s never attacked me. He asks me how to create.” Her eyes flashed, wet as rain. “You’re the one who keeps hitting me. You’re awful.”

Edward scratched his head, irritation pricking like nettles.

What could he do?

He’d seen through Ghoulia’s malice ages ago. Only the girl he liked stayed stubborn as a stone.

Earlier, when he came to help her, she brought troops to strike him. He lost his temper and taught her hard.

Who knew this wild girl would hold such a grudge.

He kept sighing, breath heavy as iron. When would this foolish girl understand that Ghoulia sought to fatten himself, then swallow them both in one gulp?

“No helping it, sister. Next I’ll make your death very ugly. The weak can’t win here.”

“You! I… I have my people. They’ll protect me.” Yulia bit her lip. Tears pooled to the brim like a blown spring, ready to burst.

“Tch. You think those flimsy wastes can protect you? I could kill them with one breath.” Edward watched the so-called goddess like a hunter measuring a fawn.

“No idea what spell you fed them. My warnings don’t work.”

“You… you’re too much!” She bit down, and her divinity flared in a heartbeat like a sudden dawn.

“I’ll teach you a lesson!” She fused her gathered power into her small, delicate fist, and flung a blow at Edward, anger bright as a comet.

Right then, the space split without warning, a rift opening like a veil torn. A hooded figure in a long robe stepped out of the crack, slow as drifting ash.

She startled, saw her strike already flying, and cried out, voice sharp as a bird, warning the newcomer.

Edward’s face tightened, stern as stone, eyes fixed on the man.

Rending the void… that was a power beyond them now, like a gate they couldn’t budge.

Only his silly sister thought her slap meant anything. To that man, it’d be a mosquito’s brush.

He sneered, but his guard climbed like a tide.

Who was this man? Weren’t they the heirs of this world? Where did this boundless power come from?

Look—he stretched his palm out.

So casual, like flicking dust. He’d easily dissolve the strike, right?

See, the slap met the Celestial God’s energy in midair, light against light.

See… hmm?

The man flew backward like a leaf, a heavy-injury flourish if you ever saw one.

What the—did I guess wrong?

Maybe he’s weak, and only his space talent outstrips ours?

Hah, the world’s vast. Strange things bloom everywhere.

…………………………

Eli stepped out of the rift like a walker from a river mouth.

He saw the palm rushing for his face. His heart lifted like a hawk, and he almost raised a hand to swat it aside.

But she was going all out… and right now they felt fragile as porcelain. He couldn’t show crushing strength and break their trust like a clay idol.

To join a camp, you need a thread of faith.

These three had the mindset of pampered nobles, the whole universe just the three of them, a lonely court.

If an overpowered stranger popped out of nowhere, who would believe him?

In that instant, messy thoughts flickered like moths. Eli pressed down the urge to move, and only let energy veil his face, protecting the butterfly mask.

So Eli, barely posing for two minutes, took a slap to the cheek. His defense held like glass under rain.

But the play had to go on.

He spun three hundred and sixty degrees in the air like a leaf in wind, spat a mouthful of blood, and fainted cleanly.

“Ah! I’m dead!”

“Ah! Are you okay?!” The Celestial God saw it, kicked Edward aside like a rattling drum, and ran toward him, robes flying like wings.

She ran and sobbed, tears like sudden rain. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Don’t die. Boo-hoo, boo-hoo!”