I know that!" Zero roared, his voice echoing across the collapsing void. "But if I don't do something, everyone dies anyway!"
The world around him twisted violently. The white and crimson void rippled as the Emperor of Destruction's laughter rumbled through the air like thunder. The weight of his power pressed down on Zero's consciousness, trying to crush what little light remained within him.
"Then choose, boy," the Emperor taunted. "Die with them… or live as a god."
Zero's breath came heavy. The black flames crawling up his arm pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. His mana was fading, but his soul—his will—still refused to break.
Then, his Earth self stepped forward again, his calm demeanor masking the storm beneath. "You really think brute force is the answer here?" he asked, voice sharp as glass. "You think you can take down a monster who's been planning his ascension for centuries with just stubbornness and a cracked body?"
