Volume One, Chapter 22: Borges

He narrowed his eyes, quietly resisting the numbness, then turned and flew in the direction of the Milky Way Guild.

Torekia had already lost; if the battle continued, the victor would only be him.

Pursue the enemy further? There was no longer any need!

If Torekia knew what he was thinking now, he would undoubtedly force a laugh and mutter, “Idiot!”

His power stemmed from the essence of darkness, and his time with the element of thunder had been fleeting.

Unleashing it completely had merely been a test to gauge how well his body resonated with the thunder element.

After all, for any element, true mastery required a certain harmony with its wielder to reach its full potential.

If the wielder’s body proved incompatible, the consequences could be dire.

At best, the element would backlash; at worst, one could be consumed and become a slave to its power.

Yet, clearly, the thunder element displayed no rejection toward Torekia at this stage.

Far from rejecting him, it could even be fused with light and dark energies to produce a mightier force.

Torekia raised both arms—one shrouded in darkness, the other aglow with thunder.

Under his guidance, the two energies slowly intertwined, forming a strand of black-violet dark energy.

“I’ll call it—The Power Supreme!”

———

The boundless universe, vast and profound.

A cataclysmic piece of news swept rapidly through every star system, reaching the ears of every race.

The Emperor had fallen.

The supreme ruler of the Dark Nebula, the emperor of the Ampera race... was dead.

It marked the end of an era, and the rise of a new power.

Ultraman Mebius.

Not long ago, he had been but a fresh recruit in the Intergalactic Defense Force, yet, together with humanity, he had defeated the emperor, Ampera.

For a time, the universe was abuzz with rumors and debate.

Some claimed the Land of Light and the Dark Nebula were on the verge of another great war.

After all, with the emperor gone, his subordinates would hardly sit idly by.

Others said Mebius would surpass Taro, becoming the strongest and youngest Ultra Warrior of the Land of Light.

Still others whispered that Mebius was the reincarnation of the Ultra King himself...

All manner of wild speculation swept through the stars.

Naturally, every word of these rumors reached Torekia’s ears.

After leaving the Plasma Galaxy, he officially set forth toward Borges.

The journey was neither long nor short, yet even for him, it would take some days.

Along the way, he listened to the tales from the Land of Light and witnessed riots and darkness across the cosmos, his mind undistracted.

Until... he heard news of Taro’s son being born.

In a star system at the very edge of the universe, Torekia rested in a small shop on Planet Kak.

The long trek had wearied even one of his stellar might.

Metronian Veep hurried over, warmly asking, “Sir, is there anything I can get you?”

Torekia shook his head, saying nothing.

Veep, perceptive, withdrew and asked no more.

On the edge of the universe, most who came here were fugitives.

Too many words brought no business, and could even invite death.

Inside, every alien looked fierce and menacing, but all kept their heads down, silently eating their meals.

The reason was simple: the chill Torekia unconsciously radiated kept them from even glancing his way.

The strong command respect wherever they go.

As expected, an unexpected event occurred.

Bang—!

The shop’s door was kicked open.

A burly, vicious-looking Barbarian strode inside.

A savage scar slashed across his face, one eye hidden by a black patch, and a massive blade strapped to his back—all lending him a formidable presence.

Four other aliens of various races followed, all clad in animal pelts and exuding wildness.

The instant they appeared, Veep’s face changed and he rushed forward with a forced smile, “Ah, it’s Lord Barbarian! Please, take a seat, take a seat.”

“Hmph!” The Barbarian snorted, then looked over at Torekia’s table, grinning, “Well, what have we here—an Ultra Warrior?”

The name of the Ultra Warriors was known by all throughout the universe.

Especially now, after defeating the Dark Emperor Ampera, the reputation of the Land of Light and the Intergalactic Defense Force had soared to new heights.

But this was the universe’s edge, not the Land of Light’s territory!

So, rather than dread the Ultra Warrior, the Barbarian sought to pick a fight.

He had clearly miscalculated.

The price for that mistake—was death!

Zzz—!

A faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed in the shop.

At once, the lights flickered wildly.

Startled, everyone looked around in alarm.

When the lights returned to normal, they saw that the once-arrogant Barbarian had become a charred corpse.

“Boss!”

His followers cried out, rushing to check on him.

But the moment their hands touched the blackened remains, there was a muffled pop, and they too disintegrated into piles of black ash.

Veep gulped and glanced instinctively at Torekia—only to find the seat already empty.

Having left the shop, Torekia flew swiftly south, soon reaching the boundary of the known universe.

Ahead of him appeared a membrane, seemingly fragile but in fact, unbreakable.

Crossing this thin veil would bring him to the multiverse—the Great Cosmos.

Grimdo was sealed within the Borges Necropolis, famed as the Ruins of the Universe.

Without hesitation, Torekia lifted his hand, pressing his palm to the membrane.

As he channeled energy, ripples spread across the surface, gradually expanding.

Bit by bit, the membrane parted, forming an opening just wide enough for a person.

Torekia surged forward and plunged through.

In that instant, everything before his eyes underwent a radical transformation.

He beheld a space vaster than any universe, countless bubble-like universes linked together in a surging sea—an awe-inspiring sight.

Even though this was not his first time here, Torekia could not help but feel deeply moved.

“How beautiful...” he murmured, gaze turning to the depths of the sea, toward that twisted cemetery—Borges.

As he entered the warped time-space, a slicing sensation swept over him.

In his previous life, he had only made it through by chance, lacking the strength to resist.

But now, he was no longer afraid of the chaos of this place.