Chapter 2507: The New Path

Mid Sector 90—

On the greatest battlefield in history, excluding the war against the Executioner and the Plague, an unusual silence had descended over the entire area.

And by silence, this didn’t mean complete silence in the literal sense, only the silence of mouths, as no one seemed willing to speak while everything around them continued to change.

Everyone stood looking around them in astonishment. The sky was constantly changing and the fabric of Spacetime was gently rippling, while they could hear the enormous nebulae and celestial bodies moving back and forth through the surroundings, still not having fully stabilized, creating a scene no one present had ever witnessed before and most likely no one would ever witness again.

The number of live broadcasts exploded into the billions once again, with everyone documenting what was happening on their planet or whatever they were witnessing during their journey. No one wanted to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or allow such an extraordinary moment to pass without recording it; everyone wanted to feel that they had participated in and been part of this great event in some way.

The battle had completely stopped.

The Breaker’s broadcast had already ended several minutes ago, yet no one had fired a single shot since then, nor had anyone given any orders to attack or retreat. Everyone simply remained where they were, watching everything unfolding around them in astonishment.

The only ones who had actually returned to issuing orders in rapid succession were admirals like Aro, Alexander, and others from both sides, because having vessels floating helplessly within this turbulent and unstable fabric was nothing short of a nightmare for everyone involved.

A huge number of vessels had already collided with one another, fallen onto planets, or crashed into enormous celestial bodies, so everyone was forced to begin coordinating their movements and landings as quickly as possible… For the vessels and everyone currently stranded in space, settling on the solid surface of a planet like ducks waiting to be hunted was still far preferable to remaining suspended above within a constantly shifting death trap where even maintaining control had become difficult.

"Lord Robin… Breaker of Certainty… amazing." Arkail finally opened his mouth after remaining silent for so long and muttered those words under his breath.

A thin layer of tears covered his eyes as he watched the universe itself expand before him. He could already sense what was happening throughout the surroundings with considerable clarity, could feel the primordial energy and cosmic dust flooding the planet they had been fighting over and spreading across it in enormous quantities.

This planet, which had been reduced to a barren desert millions of years ago, was now destined to gradually transform into something far greater than what it had been… something truly valuable. That cosmic dust and primordial energy pouring into it were inevitably going to transform into rare resources over time, inevitably going to elevate the living beings both above the surface and beneath the ground and improve what this barren planet could offer them.

…Although compared to what was currently happening across the other planets, and especially compared to those magnificent planets filled with countless riches that had suddenly appeared throughout the newly opened regions… this particular planet would most likely remain neglected and unwanted just as it had always been.

"….." Asteron seemed to finally awaken from his long daze after hearing Arkail’s words beside him.

He looked downward for a few seconds as though gathering his thoughts, released a long sigh, then took out a palm-sized device and sent his soul into it. "Prepare to withdraw. We’re returning to the galaxy."

The nearest vessel rose slightly from the ground after receiving the order and, in turn, immediately began spreading the news to the others.

"Hmm?" Arkail turned toward his opponent, who was still standing only a single step away from him despite everything that had happened. "You’re not going to continue fighting?"

"There’s nothing left for us to fight over." Asteron returned the device to his ring, then raised his gaze again and continued staring at the changing sky above them. "…There are no longer any borders to my Sector for me to defend."

"Is that the only thing stopping you?" Arkail raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly finding that answer somewhat unexpected.

"…Your master—no… Lord Breaker," Asteron quickly corrected himself before continuing, "has redrawn the universe as we know it, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say… he has restored it to what we once knew." Then he lowered his gaze toward the ground again, his thoughts clearly occupied by the scale of the change that had just taken place. "I have a great deal to do."

Asteron and Arkail had both personally experienced the universe before the Executioner arrived and carried out the punishment. They had lived through its old state with their own eyes, the state that had produced the Ruler of Chaos and an enormous number of Behemoths within a remarkably short period of time.

After the Cosmic Elder appeared and the new order based on the miniaturized Sector system finally stabilized throughout the universe, Asteron withdrew from everything and decided to simply live with what he already possessed, abandoning his old ambitions and never again allowing himself to become occupied with dreams of the past. He returned to his galaxy, which happened to be located in Mid Sector 88, and settled there, wanting nothing more than to quietly live out his remaining days with what he had and never experience anything resembling the Space Beast war again.

But it happened…

Without a great war consuming countless lives, without any great sacrifices being demanded from him or anyone else, and without any effort worth mentioning on his part, Lord Breaker simply wanted the barriers to break, so he broke them… That was all there was to it.

Now Asteron’s mind was experiencing something akin to delayed shock as the reality of what had just happened slowly settled in… He had lost his purpose, the purpose he had carried for all those years of protecting the Sector, because there was no longer a Sector for him to protect.

The fact that the territory under his rule had suddenly expanded by at least tenfold with all those newly exposed galaxies, planets, and enormous stretches of space? The fact that the rains of cosmic dust and the winds of primordial energy sweeping through everything would inevitably increase the value of all the things he already possessed?

Neither of those things had even crossed his mind.

His goal from the beginning had never truly been about possessions or how much territory he could claim. It had always been something more akin to a mission… a mission that Lord Breaker had casually brushed aside without even giving it a second thought.

"…Rather, you have a great deal to think about." Arkail stared at his opponent’s face from the side for a moment before continuing, "You heard Lord Breaker yourself. Time is passing, and the mountain will fall. Secure yourself and your lineage before it’s too late… I’m grateful for the fact that I was closer to Mid Sector 99 than he was, and even more grateful for the fact that my mind softened through words instead of an exchange of blows, because that allowed me to secure myself a place beside the Breaker before the new era even began."

Then he narrowed his eyes slightly as he continued looking at his old opponent. "But it’s not too late for you yet. The Lord himself announced that the door is open to anyone who wants to survive… Survive, my old friend."

"….." Asteron slowly rose from the ground, his expression still carrying traces of the thoughts that had just overturned everything he had grown accustomed to. "…Yes, I have a great deal to think about, a great deal to search for."

Then he took a single step forward and disappeared.

Inhale

With a deeply satisfied smile on his face, Arkail slowly closed his eyes and raised his face upward, allowing his beard to flutter freely beneath the dense winds of primordial energy sweeping through the surroundings.

Memories from seventy million years ago, memories of his youth, of striving forward, and of pursuing greater power, gradually began returning to him one after another.

What a decision it had been, and what a moment that had been when he decided to follow Lord Breaker and go fight against the Syndicate’s support forces despite everything surrounding that choice.

He had chosen well.

He had—

Znn

Arkail suddenly felt something happening inside his body, an abrupt sensation so unexpected that his eyes snapped open immediately.

There, less than a single step away from him, he found Marlik’s bloodthirsty face staring directly at him from terrifyingly close range.

And the crimson sword was already slicing straight through his body at that very moment, cutting through flesh without stopping. It had already passed through his left shoulder and torn through part of his heart, and it was still moving onward with enough momentum to split his entire body cleanly in half…

He was… dying?