Akube crossed his arms and glanced at his best friend.
"Hey... Dranexx."
Dranexx remained silent.
His eyes were fixed on the distant horizon where fragments of light shimmered like broken stars.
"You've been quiet ever since we got here." Dranexx didn't respond immediately.
Akube scratched his cheek.
"You seemed ready to throw hands with the Grandmasters back there."
A smirk appeared on his face.
"Don't tell me you've already got a death wish."
Dranexx scoffed faintly.
"Tch."
He finally looked away from the horizon.
"Don't be stupid." Akube stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"It's your mom... and Mina, right?"
His expression softened.
"That's why you were trying to fight them."
Silence.
The wind howled across the platform.
For the first time since arriving in this new world, Dranexx's expression softened.
"They dragged us here without asking."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"No explanation."
A brief pause followed.
"No guarantee we'll ever return." His fists slowly clenched.
"My little sister waits for me every day after school."
A faint crack of dimensional energy flickered around him.
"And my mom" His voice became quieter.
"She already works too hard."
The dimensional energy intensified slightly.
"If anything happens to them while I'm gone" His eyes sharpened.
"I don't care if they're called 'Grandmasters.'"
The space around him distorted faintly.
"I'll tear apart this entire realm."
Akube smirked.
"Heh..."
He shook his head.
"There's the Dranexx I know."
A grin spread across his face.
"Always acting cold, but soft for family."
Dranexx rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Aku."
Akube laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get stronger." His gaze turned forward.
"Strong enough to force them to send us back."
His eyes sharpened.
"If this world thinks it summoned heroes..."
A confident smile appeared on his face
"then it better be ready for monsters."
A faint smile appeared on Dranexx's face
Far above them, unseen by both boys, a mysterious feminine presence watched silently...
Her divine aura stretched across existence itself
"Yeah"
Dranexx's smile disappeared
"But that's not the case."
"As long as they're fine, I have no problem with it."
He placed his hands inside his pockets
"Because right now..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"We're already dead in the real world."
Akube froze.
"Wait..."
His eyes widened.
"You're serious?"
A look of shock appeared on his face.
"That means!!"
"The Grandmasters were telling the truth." Dranexx looked toward the sky.
"I felt it when we were in that realm."
"At first, only our souls were summoned."
"Our bodies remained behind..." A brief pause followed.
"replaced with pseudo-souls."
"But the moment the explosion happened our tragic end our real bodies were summoned to us."
Akube listened carefully.
"That's when I realized..."
"We can now move freely in this world."
"Without a physical vessel, we couldn't access our true nature."
His gaze hardened.
"But once our bodies returned..."
"The limitations were shattered."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"That's when my Ultimate Ability awakened."
He suddenly stopped speaking.
"Never mind."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"I can't reveal everything to you just yet."
His expression became serious.
"In this world, only the strongest survive."
Akube nodded slowly.
"I noticed that too..."
A grin appeared on his face.
"But if we stay together, we're unstoppable."
Dranexx immediately shook his head.
"Don't be so sure."
His voice was calm.
"We're not strong enough yet."
"There are beings out there capable of erasing us without breaking a sweat."
Akube's expression became serious.
"Back at the Heavenly Palace..."
Dranexx continued.
"That Grandmaster of Truth."
"And the Judgment Grandmaster."
"They both possess that level of power."
He folded his arms.
"And I'll be honest..."
A brief pause followed.
"If that Celestial your Grandmaster restrained hadn't been holding back"
His eyes narrowed.
"I doubt I could have beaten her."
Akube stared at him.
"So you were gambling with your life back there?"
"Not entirely."
Dranexx shrugged.
"I believe I could've held my own."
He smirked slightly.
"But victory wasn't certain."
His gaze shifted forward.
"For either of us."
Akube blinked.
"So..."
A grin spread across his face.
"A draw?"
Dranexx grinned.
"Absolutely."
His eyes gleamed with confidence.
"But next time I see her?"
The grin widened.
"I'll be far stronger."
A powerful determination flashed within his eyes.
"And then...I will win."
Akube looked around at the unfamiliar landscape.
"Drane..." He frowned slightly.
"Is it just me, or does this world feel different from the one the Grandmasters ruled?"
He closed his eyes briefly.
"The flow of energy..."
"The laws..."
"They feel weaker."
"I noticed it too." Dranexx nodded.
"That realm was structured to contain beings like the Grandmasters."
"A higher plane."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"When I activated my Dimensional Break, it shattered the bridge between the two realms."
He looked toward the sky.
"This one seems to be a physical world."
A brief pause followed.
"That one was something else."
"A High Divine Realm, perhaps."
He folded his arms.
"But I witnessed their presence firsthand"
"My calculations are clear."
His voice remained firm
"That realm was superior to this one."
Akube smirked.
"This is just like those isekai manga we used to read back in the real world."
Dranexx's eyes gleamed.
"Yh..."
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"This is thrilling."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"For so long, I searched for something that could truly entertain me."
The grin widened.
"Now?"
His aura flickered faintly.
"I'll go beyond this verse."
His eyes shone with excitement.
"I'll shatter every dimension..."
"every realm"
His smile became almost feral.
"Until I find an opponent worthy of standing against me."