Jovalis-9 is gone.

  The enemy war-foundry is destroyed, its once-glowing industrial landscape reduced to smoldering wreckage.

  I should feel victorious.

  But I don’t.

  Because I know this was only the beginning.

  Akunon isn’t just going to let this slide.

  He’s going to hit back.

  And when he does—

  It won’t just be another Harbinger.

  It’ll be something worse.

  Something I haven’t seen yet.

  Something I’m not ready for.

  We break out of hyperspace, the familiar sight of Earth coming into view.

  I exhale, tension settling in my chest as I stare out the viewport.

  It feels like I’ve been gone for years.

  But it’s only been days.

  Dr. Lynn sits across from me in the cockpit.

  She watches me carefully. “You’re quiet.”

  I lean back. “Just thinking.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “That’s dangerous.”

  I smirk. “Funny.”

  She doesn’t smile.

  Because she sees it too.

  The way I haven’t stopped clenching my fists.

  The way my jaw stays tight.

  The way my cosmic energy still hums, restless, just beneath my skin.

  Lynn lowers her voice.

  “You’re expecting him to retaliate.”

  I nod.

  She folds her arms.

  “You think he’ll come here?”

  I shake my head.

  “No.”

  I turn to her, my gaze dead serious.

  “He doesn’t need to.”

  The moment we land, Dr. Bao is waiting.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He looks tense.

  More tense than usual.

  That’s a bad sign.

  I step down from the ship.

  “Talk to me, Doc.”

  He doesn’t hesitate.

  “We received a transmission.”

  My chest tightens.

  Lynn steps forward. “From Akunon?”

  Bao nods.

  “Come inside.”

  The safehouse war room is already filled with analysts, all watching the holographic projection on the main screen.

  I step forward.

  Akunon’s face looms over the entire room.

  His golden eyes burn, flickering with calm amusement.

  He isn’t angry.

  He isn’t rattled.

  He’s pleased.

  That’s worse.

  The message begins.

  "You have chosen war, Cosmic Monster. And war, you shall have."

  Akunon’s voice is measured, like a king addressing an audience beneath him.

  "Your little rebellion amuses me. The destruction of my foundry was… entertaining."

  His lips curl into a mocking smirk.

  "But I wonder—what will you do when you realize that the true war is not fought with fists? That your power, mighty as it may be, is but a flicker in the face of something greater?"

  The image shifts.

  A planet appears.

  One I don’t recognize.

  I frown. “What is this?”

  Bao’s expression darkens. “A colony world. Off-world exiles. Refugees.”

  Lynn’s face hardens.

  She already knows.

  I do too.

  But Akunon says it anyway.

  "Since you seem eager to play the part of a hero, allow me to give you a test worthy of your title."

  The image zooms in.

  A massive warship hovers over the planet.

  Akunon’s eyes glint.

  "In twelve hours, I will erase this world from existence. If you are what you claim to be, Cosmic Monster—come. Stop me. Save them."

  The image fades.

  Silence fills the room.

  I clench my fists.

  He’s forcing me to choose.

  Go after him—or do nothing and let a world burn.

  This isn’t a test of strength.

  It’s a test of will.

  Bao turns to me.

  “Yuri—this could be a trap.”

  Lynn shakes her head. “It’s not a trap. He doesn’t need a trap.”

  I take a slow breath.

  Because she’s right.

  Akunon doesn’t need deception.

  He’s that confident.

  He wants me to come.

  He wants me to see what he’s capable of.

  He wants me to watch.

  And the worst part?

  I don’t know if I can stop him.

  But I do know one thing.

  I’m going.

  I turn to Lynn and Bao.

  “Get the ship ready.”

  Lynn glares. “You’re walking into his hands.”

  I stare back. “Then I’ll break them.”

  She doesn’t argue.

  Because she knows—

  If I don’t go, an entire planet dies.

  As we prepare for launch, another warning signal triggers in the command center.

  Bao frowns. “Another energy signature?”

  A second holographic projection flickers online.

  My breath catches.

  A new figure appears.

  Towering, wreathed in flame, a body covered in blazing celestial runes.

  Lynn stiffens.

  “…Another Harbinger?”

  I already know the name.

  "Sol’Rath, The Burning Pyre."

  A Harbinger of annihilation.

  A being made for destruction.

  Akunon isn’t just waiting for me.

  He’s sending another monster ahead.

  I stare at the image.

  And I feel the fire inside me burn hotter.

  I don’t just want to fight him.

  I need to.

  Twelve hours.

  That’s all I have.

  The warship is ready.

  The team is set.

  The next battle isn’t just a personal grudge.

  It’s a race against time.

  Akunon wants to prove a point.

  That I can’t save them.

  That no one can stand against him.

  I crack my knuckles.

  Let’s see about that.

  Akunon stands at the window of his floating war palace, staring into the void of space.

  Morgath stands behind him, arms folded.

  Akunon doesn’t look away from the stars.

  His voice is calm.

  “He will come.”

  Morgath nods. “And if he succeeds?”

  Akunon finally turns.

  A slow smile spreads across his face.

  “Then he is ready.”

  He steps forward, placing a hand on the glass.

  “Ready for the real war.”

  His golden eyes flicker.

  “And ready to break.”