Trascender : The Fourth Gust

Chapter 17 : Beyond Imagination

The silence in Saganbo's citadel wasn't broken, it was 'shattered'. Amado's final words : '"Engage without restraint"'; hung in the air, a command vibrating with the potential for infinite destruction. The colossal Multiversal Containment Barrier pulsed, its layered walls shimmering with the condensed light of countless galaxies trapped within its structure. It hummed with the density of collapsed universes, a pressure that pressed not on the body, but on the very concept of existence within its confines.

The four Monarchs designated for Saganbo's amusement stood bathed in the barrier's ethereal light.

Daganu; The silver-haired titan rolled his mountainous shoulders, the event-horizon armor drinking the light around him, leaving only an impression of terrifying mass and sharp edges. His obsidian eyes scanned the nascent cosmos within the barrier; swirling nebulae, infant stars igniting, spiral galaxies condensing out of structured void. A low rumble escaped him, the sound of continental plates settling. "As the Cosmic Will decrees," he murmured, the resignation in his voice belied by the predatory tension coiling in his immense frame.

Raimei; Sparks of violet lightning crackled across his spiky red hair, earthing harmlessly against his rigid posture. Sea-blue eyes, sharp as fractured ice, scanned his opponents with military precision. He gave a curt nod, energy humming within him like a primed reactor. "Understood, Sir! Calibration commencing!" His voice was clipped, eager, a soldier awaiting orders in the grandest theater of war.

Kokuto; The stoic swordsman's hand rested lightly on the worn hilt of his simple blade. His presence was a honed edge, radiating quiet lethality. He observed the unfolding pocket multiverse, his gaze lingering on Daganu's bulk and Raimei's crackling energy. "Acknowledged," he stated flatly. The blade hissed faintly within its scabbard, a sound like a universe holding its breath.

Soereichi; Leaning against nothing, the bald Monarch stifled another theatrical yawn. Jet-black eyes scanned the celestial stage with profound boredom. "Stress relief!" he declared, a feral grin splitting his face as his form began to subtly blur at the edges, tendrils of dark smoke radiating outwards. "Try not to break too easy, antiques. Wouldn't want the boss to get bored." His mocking gaze settled pointedly on Daganu and Kokuto.

"So," Soereichi drawled, stretching languidly despite the cosmic arena, the smoke around him thickening. "Who feels like volunteering as the first piñata? Or shall we just stand around admiring the wallpaper? Bit tacky for my tastes, honestly."

He never saw Daganu move. There was no blur, no sonic boom. One moment, the titan was standing light-years away across the artificial expanse, a dark silhouette against a nascent spiral galaxy. The next, the fabric of space-time folded around Soereichi. Daganu was simply there, his obsidian eyes devoid of expression, a mountain range condensed into a fist.

CRUNCH-OOOOOOM!

The impact wasn't just physical; it was a localized gravitational catastrophe. Soereichi's eyes bulged in genuine shock, the bored smirk wiped clean off his face. He didn't fly; he was erased from his position. Space itself recoiled as he became a dark comet streaking backwards at relativistic speeds, trailing shattered fragments of his smoky aura. He punched through a condensing nebula, scattering stellar nurseries, and vanished into the swirling depths of a distant galactic arm, disappearing from sight within a fraction of a second.

Kokuto's stoic mask cracked. His eyes, usually pools of calm lethality, snapped wide. "What Th-?" The question died in his throat.

Daganu wasn't done. He didn't turn; he simply reoriented. Kokuto felt the universe shift around him. The nascent stars overhead blurred into streaks. Daganu materialized directly in front of him, impossibly close, his obsidian gaze boring into Kokuto's widened eyes. The sheer, silent speed was more terrifying than any roar.