Volume One, Chapter 65: Awe

Tiga struggled to his feet, shaking his numbed arm, his expression grave. He was no stranger to the Kirieloid. Yet, compared to the last one, this adversary’s power was on a completely different level.

If strength was not his advantage, then it was time to compete in speed.

Switching to his aerial form, Tiga leaped, soaring instantly to a hundred meters above ground.

“My power is beyond imagination!” The Kirieloid grinned wickedly, and to Tiga’s shock, a pair of wings slowly spread from its back.

A sense of foreboding seized Tiga. And his instinct was quickly proven right.

With a single beat of its wings, the Kirieloid shot up toward him, its speed even greater than before.

Tiga fired a light bullet, but his foe dodged with ease.

“Die, Tiga!”

The Kirieloid abruptly accelerated, its figure blurring like a phantom. In an instant, it appeared before Tiga and smashed a fist into his chest.

Bang—

Caught off guard, Tiga had no time to react. The blow landed squarely, hurling him from the sky.

“Dare to defy the divine, and this is your fate.” The Kirieloid’s smile grew even more triumphant.

He did not pursue Tiga, choosing instead to descend slowly before the Gate of Hell, dropping to one knee.

“My king, your servant has awaited you for so long!” The Kirieloid trembled with excitement, eyes brimming with tears.

Thirty million years ago, he and his kin arrived on Earth, hoping to lead humanity through evangelism, to become rulers in their own right. But who could have foreseen that this planet harbored giants of power greater than their own?

Faced with overwhelming might, he and his people had no choice but to lie low, developing their cause in secret.

Then, perhaps by the mercy of fate, the two tribes of giants turned on each other, both suffering dreadfully and withdrawing from Earth’s stage.

With the giants gone, wasn’t this finally their opportunity?

Yet before they could celebrate, a monster called Gatangeher suddenly emerged on Earth. This creature was so powerful that its mere presence filled them with terror and dread.

Fortunately, Gatangeher ruled only a few short years before returning to the ocean’s depths to slumber.

Now, surely, their chance had come at last.

He and his kin disguised themselves as angels, attempting to guide the ignorant, lowly humans.

But once again, disaster struck. Humans became infatuated with a flower known as Zeigera, each falling to a beautiful, deadly dream.

Had it been only one or two, he wouldn’t have cared. But this time, it meant the extinction of all humanity.

At that moment, he nearly lost all hope, tempted many times to abandon Earth for another star. Yet the pride of the Kirieloids would not allow him to leave.

He resolved to see this through to the end.

He waited—thirty million years.

During that time, a message arrived in his interstellar mailbox. He had hoped for good news but instead received the devastating word: his homeland had been destroyed.

Mad with grief, he longed to return, but the surviving king ordered him to remain hidden.

The Kirieloids had suffered disastrous losses, and the king, desperate to perpetuate the race, planned to use his genes to sire offspring, even going so far as to kidnap women from dozens of weaker planets.

His heart broke at the thought—his noble king, reduced to interbreeding with other species to continue their civilization. If such a thing must be done, surely he should be the one to do it!

Yet he could only obey. Along with his kin who had come with him, he fell into hibernation.

Three thousand years passed in slumber.

When he awoke, humans had reappeared on Earth, in numbers greater than ever before.

He knew that this time, his opportunity was real.

Yet that accursed Tiga had also reappeared—and killed the children he had seeded on Earth.

This was a debt of blood he must repay.

But now, the most important task was to bring his king through. Only the king’s overwhelming power could lead him—and all of humanity.

From the Gate of Hell, waves of black miasma seeped out, swiftly engulfing the sky, shrouding the light, and summoning nightfall.

Tiga lay in the vast crater his body had carved, the timer on his chest flashing rapidly, his consciousness fading.

But the Victory Team was already assembling a system to rescue him.

That system was light.

“Bareru…”

Bareru, who had been watching everything with indifference, suddenly shuddered and turned solemnly to the building behind him.

On the rooftop, Kiriaki strolled to the edge, his expression serene. With a faint smile, he spoke: “All right, let’s begin.”

“Yes, my lord!” Bareru responded respectfully, turned, and unleashed a thunderous roar that echoed across the entire planet.

“All cosmic beings, you have thirty minutes to evacuate.”

“When the time is up, anyone who dares remain will be slaughtered without mercy!”

As the words faded, the Kirieloid spun around, eyes blazing with fury. “What did you say!”

He had almost forgotten the other figure standing nearby—until Bareru spoke and trampled upon his deepest taboo.

Courting death!

Bareru raised his gaze. “What, do you object?”

“Die!” The Kirieloid raised an arm, firing a streak of energy to teach this insolent wretch a lesson.

A hint of anger flickered in Bareru’s golden eyes.

He had refrained from acting immediately, not wishing to disturb Lord Tregear with unnecessary commotion. But since this Kirieloid insisted—he would make him an example.

Bareru’s golden eyes gleamed. He drew his demon blade in a flash and slashed through the air.

A terrifying black light swept over the Kirieloid as easily as slicing through tofu, leaving a long, lingering black scar in the very fabric of space.

He had cut a fissure through space itself.

The Kirieloid seemed frozen in place, looking down in disbelief to see his body severed at the waist.

With a thud, amidst a spray of blood, his upper half crashed to the ground, eyes fixed helplessly upon the Gate of Hell.

“My king… my king…”

His throat convulsed, forming only two words before, just as he watched, the Gate of Hell was split in two like his body and exploded with a thunderous crash.

Witnessing this, many cosmic beings lurking in the shadows, who had been stirred by the earlier commotion, fell silent.

They too wished to rule Earth, but only if they survived.

Bareru calmly sheathed his blade, his expression unchanged.

But for the members of the Victory Team and others observing from afar, a chill gripped their hearts.

An alien who could so easily defeat Tiga had been slain with a single stroke by this mysterious newcomer!

Those who had aimed their searchlights at the dying Tiga unconsciously let their arms fall.

Absolute power meant absolute despair.

Tiga struggled to lift his head, his blurred vision focusing on Bareru—and Kiriaki atop the distant building.

“You… who are you… what are you…”