Chapter 9 - 9
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Haruki's POV, some time earlier:
Haruki walked into the royal palace, well aware that what he was about to do would put his life in danger. However, considering how his son and the clan were treating his grandson, Noboru Chikara, it was the only way. His goal was the Relic of Freedom, an ancient artifact created from the energy collision that blessed the world with Omni energy and dimensium. He made his way to the upper floor.
"Lord Haruki, you are not allowed here," a member of the Cronus Aqua said. Haruki was familiar with her; her name suggested she specialized in water magic, to the extent that she could manipulate the water in someone's body.
"I see. May I ask why I, Haruki Chikara, son of Ryu Chikara and the former king, am forbidden from entering the top floor?" Haruki asked in a regal manner, making her flinch. She stood in front of the former king, and poisoned or not, he could still defeat her, being an 8th dimension transcendent.
"King Hiroshi and Queen Amaya forbade it after the damage the demon you call your grandson did. I can't believe you're protecting him after what he did to Lord Takeshi's wife," said the Aqua. Haruki's anger flared as she insulted his grandson. He muttered some words, and the Aqua fell asleep; it was a sleep spell. He then proceeded to the Kingdom Treasury, where he took the Relic of Freedom and the Phoenix Kingdom's legendary relic before leaving.
On his way, he saw something that made him angry – Hiroshi, Amaya, Kouki, and Meiyo were all training. Noboru should have been there too, with his parents and siblings. But Kaito Danzo had to ruin everything, and it infuriated Haruki. Just as he was about to unleash some of his power, he regained his composure and made his way out of the castle.
Eventually, he returned home and walked to Noboru's room. "Noboru, my boy, this is our family's and the kingdom's greatest treasure. It allows one to be transported to a place where all limitations are removed. The only two relics that rival its power are with our cousin clans, the royal families of the other kingdoms," said Haruki as he watched his adorable grandson absorb the knowledge like a sponge.
He saw his grandson's expression turn to excitement. "So, what do I do with it, Grandpa Haruki?" asked Noboru.
Haruki smiled as he handed the Relic of Freedom to Noboru. "It's quite simple; you just have to channel your Omni Energy into it, and it will allow you to experience your full potential. However, this only works once a year, so use it well. I have high hopes for you, boy; you will bring peace and prosperity to the kingdom and end our war with the other two clans." Noboru nodded and followed his grandfather's instructions. He channeled his Omni energy, and the relic started glowing in a rainbow color before a bright light engulfed Noboru, transporting him.
Haruki heard knocks and sighed, preparing himself. The doors were sent flying off with a boom as Takeshi Tanaka, the leader of the Cronus, along with Belize Chikara, entered. Belize was his other son and the commander of the Cronus. While Takeshi led the Cronus, it was Belize who they followed. He specialized in Domain Magic, with the ability to create a space he had full control over, albeit on a small scale, like the size of a city.
"Father, we know you stole the Relic of Freedom for the demon brat; hand it over now," Belize said as Haruki smirked.
"I can't, my son. I gave it to Noboru, your nephew, and he is using it right now as we speak to train," said Haruki.
"Father, have you gone senile? Giving that relic to the demon brat, are you that arrogant to confess crimes of treason to us? Your title as former king won't save you. You know that brother does not like the demon. While we are on the topic of the demon, never suggest that thing is my nephew. I would rather die than have our blood tainted by that creature. He's lucky his brother and sister need him to absorb the hatred of our people for the attack," said Belize.
"You're just like your brother; I am ashamed to have you as my son. Betraying blood for power is something I did not teach you,." said Haruki.
"Well, the clan did. Shin-sama did, and his teachings mean more to us than you. After all, he is the true strongest in the kingdom, even if he's from the Blessed Age," replied Belize.
"Lord Belize, I believe the traitor is just buying time. Shall I strike him down for the treason he committed against the kingdom?" asked Takeshi, wanting to kill Haruki so that he could be the only known 13th dimension transcendent, and the kingdom could attack Noboru without fear of Haruki retaliating.
"Go ahead, but do it in the Battlescape," said Belize as he pulled out a ring and sent energy at both Takeshi and Haruki. Haruki allowed this to happen, knowing that today he would either defeat Takeshi before the man could become a threat to Noboru or he would die.
"Noboru, my boy, this may be it, but know that your grandpa will love you no matter what," Haruki muttered as they were transported to the Battlescape.
Both Haruki and Takeshi found themselves in the Battlescape, a special area created by dimensium for battle. It was a hierarchy of ascending dimensions that allowed them to spar or battle without having their attacks scaled down, as the world did to protect itself.
The battle began in the fourth dimension of the Battlescape. Haruki Chikara could feel the poison coursing through his veins weakening him, but he stood resolute. Takeshi Tanaka, fueled by the insatiable hunger of his bloodline trait and hatred towards the former king for helping the monster brat, glared at his adversary.
"After I'm done with you, old man, that cursed brat is next. I will kill him. I don't care what King Hiroshi and Commander Belize say," Takeshi said darkly wanting revenge against the boy for what he did to his wife. He believed that the red and black aura was Haruki's gifting his powers and knowledge to Noboru.
"Not if I kill you first," Haruki retorted, his eyes shimmering with otherworldly light as he invoked his concept manipulation, reaching into the fabric of reality. "I shall sever the ties that bind you to life," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of cosmic authority.
Takeshi smirked, his confidence unshaken. "Ha Ha Ha, you can try, old man, but don't forget my clan specializes in vital energy. You won't be able to take it from us," he retorted, his bloodline trait pulsating with vitality.
As Haruki's conceptual assault unfurled, an intricate dance of abstract energies ensued. Threads of reality began to unravel as the very concept of vitality wavered in Takeshi's being.
"This is nothing, old man. I won't let you take my life force, but I will do this to your Noboru," Takeshi said, insanely laughing as he
unleashed his omni energy. The fourth dimension of the Battlescape quivered and trembled as the battle of cosmic forces escalated.
With a surge of defiance, Takeshi funneled the stolen vitality energy that Haruki had taken into a cataclysmic energy blast. He pumped omni energy into the stolen vitality energy, causing planets to shatter and celestial bodies to quake as a torrent of life energy surged toward Haruki. "Vitality Burst!" Takeshi roared, the sheer power of his attack rending the fabric of the dimension.
Haruki knew he had to act swiftly. With a graceful gesture, he invoked his reality manipulation, creating a protective barrier that enveloped him. The energy blast collided with the barrier, causing reality to warp and contort as it absorbed the overwhelming life force. "Dimensional Reflection!" Haruki exclaimed, his voice a whisper that echoed through the dimension.
The resulting shockwave sent shockwaves through the fourth dimension of the Battlescape, causing galaxies to spiral into chaos and planets to implode into cosmic debris. Haruki's hair, silvered with age, floated around him as he maintained his barrier, the strain evident on his face. Haruki started to pant as his breathing quickened.
"The poison is starting to affect me," Haruki silently said, thinking back to the day Noboru came back beaten by his siblings and their friends. "I knew it was Takeshi who did this. Noboru, I am sorry, but I didn't want you to get in the way, so I took the poison," Haruki said.
Takeshi's grin persisted, undeterred. "Impressive, but this is just the beginning, old man. I can see you're getting tired. Is the 13th dimension's poisonous Abyss poison getting to you?" he mocked, his eyes burning with determination. The two charged at each other, their movements causing shockwaves that shattered the fourth-dimensional multiverse.
The battle now transitioned into the fifth dimension of the Battlescape, a kaleidoscope of alternate realities that branched off infinitely. Haruki seized the opportunity to exploit the labyrinthine nature of this dimension.
"I know what I have to do. I can use these to make a maze," Haruki said as he wove intricate patterns of paradoxical concepts and contradictory laws, seeking to ensnare Takeshi within a web of cosmic confusion. "Dimensional Enigma!" Haruki intoned, his voice echoing through the ever-shifting landscapes.
Takeshi found himself navigating a maze of realities, each one defying the logic of the last. Planets collided, and entire universes merged as cosmic chaos unfolded. Yet, his vitality and experience granted him the ability to see and navigate through the chaos. "Nice try, but I see through your tricks," Takeshi declared, his words resonating with eerie confidence as he followed Haruki through the shifting realities.
Haruki, undeterred, delved deeper into his arsenal of abilities. He tapped into his law manipulation, altering the very foundation of the fifth dimension. Temporal anomalies rippled through the landscape, and spatial distortions warped the paths before Takeshi. "Laws Unbound!" Haruki proclaimed, his eyes shimmering with power.
Takeshi sped up and was about to land a multiverse-destroying punch, only to find himself sent back in time and was kicked which sent him sent flying backward. He tried to stabilize himself, only to see his head was point-blank in Haruki's kick radius and was kicked in the face which sent him flying. The shockwave destroyed entire 5th-dimensional multiverses.
As Takeshi tried to navigate, he found the path became treacherous, with shifting realities, temporal and spatial distortions that kept sending him away or into Haruki's point-blank radius to be attacked. It even threatened to confound his bloodline trait, making it so that the vital energy he tried to collect from planets and people around him was sent away. However, he gathered enough life energy within him, concentrating it into his fists. "Vitality Convergence!" Takeshi exclaimed, his determination unyielding.
With a mighty surge, Takeshi unleashed shockwaves of life energy that shattered Haruki's constructs, which were made up of realities, multiverses, universes, and worlds of the 5th dimension. Entire universes were obliterated, and cosmic phenomena collapsed under the relentless onslaught of vital energy beams from Takeshi. The very essence of the dimension began to crumble, reality fracturing into shards that spiraled into the void.
Haruki, recognizing the dire situation, withdrew from the crumbling fifth dimension, teleporting to the battle in the sixth dimension, with Takeshi doing the same. Haruki started to cough up blood.
"Damn it, I have already used 70% of my Omni Energy reserves, and my body won't hold up any longer. Sorry, Noboru, my boy. I might not make it home," Haruki said, looking at the blood he coughed up.
"What's the matter, old man? Nearly dead? I knew poisoning you was right. I would have been defeated by now due to our experience if it was not for it," Takeshi said.
"I won't lose. I need to be there for Noboru," Haruki said as he summoned his concept manipulation with newfound determination, intent on erasing Takeshi from all conceivable realities. "Nonexistence!" he declared, his voice echoing through the ever-branching timelines.
Takeshi, however, wielded the full might of his bloodline trait, anchoring himself to existence itself. "I left my life imprint on the life force of every dimension I went to transcend. In other words, I exist in every realm. Your existence erasure won't work on me," Takeshi retorted, his form flickering like a spectral beacon.
"If that won't work, maybe this will," Haruki yelled out as his assault unfurled, a storm of abstract energies swirling around Takeshi. Realities blinked out of existence, their possibilities extinguished one by one. Entire galaxies were reduced to cosmic dust as Haruki's power reached its apex.
But Takeshi's bloodline trait fought back with a tenacity that defied the laws of existence. "I am the embodiment of vitality!" Takeshi proclaimed, his presence transcending numerical comprehension.
"Impossible," Haruki said silently, unable to be heard even if he wanted to, as the poison had completely taken over his body. He felt stiff. He felt cold and hot at the same time.
"Just by seeing your condition, I can see I have won. But I am going to enjoy crushing you, monster lover. Then I will kill your grandson," said Takeshi as they stared at each other in the twelfth dimension of the Battlescape. This would mark the climax of their battle; while there were more dimensions, infinite ones to ascend, this one and the one above it were their final battlegrounds.
As they stepped into this domain, the dimensions behind them crumbled into oblivion, their remnants drifting into the cosmic void.
In this ultimate realm, Takeshi, now a living embodiment of vitality and life force, unleashed an attack that threatened to consume the entire twelfth dimension. The very concept of dimensions strained to its limits as Takeshi's power reached its peak. "Cosmic Vitality Surge!" Takeshi roared, his voice echoing through the celestial expanse.
Haruki, weakened by the relentless poison coursing through his veins, understood that this was his final challenge. With a determined resolve, he gathered the last vestiges of his power, merging concept manipulation, law manipulation, and reality manipulation into a singular, cataclysmic attack, using them to boost his omni energy and unleash his final assault. "Oblivion Genesis!" Haruki proclaimed, his voice a cosmic whisper that reverberated through the twelfth dimension. A beam of elements made of pure omni energy shot toward Takeshi and collided with Takeshi's vital energy enhanced by the life force of this and other dimensions, clashing.
The twelfth dimension quivered as the two titans clashed in their ultimate showdown. Reality itself became a battleground, dimensions folding and warping under the weight of their power. Haruki's frail form shimmered with ethereal energy, while Takeshi's bloodline trait pulsed with boundless vitality.
In a final, breathtaking collision, their attacks collided, unleashing a maelstrom of cosmic energies that rent the very fabric of the twelfth dimension. Dimensions fractured and collapsed as the cataclysmic forces cascaded outward, threatening to unravel the multiverse itself.
Planets shattered, galaxies imploded, and entire universes blinked out of existence. Cosmic phenomena dissolved into nothingness as the twelfth dimension itself quaked and trembled under the unimaginable forces at play.
With the destruction of the twelfth dimension, Haruki's barely alive body and Takeshi fell back to their home world. Takeshi formed a spear of vital energy, bringing it down.
"No! Grandpa!" Noboru yelled out.