The entire realmâthe last bastion of safetyâquaked under the pressure of the divine clash erupting in the skies above. Tremors split the walls, light flickered unnaturally, and strange distortions began spreading across the ground like fractures in reality.
Ian, clutching his camera, spoke shakily, sweat dripping from his brow as he captured every moment:
"This... this isn't just a battle. This is judgment. Gods clashing with the weight of universes behind their strikes. If this continues... even existence itself might break."
Around him, Zack fell to his knees, coughing, his healing powers struggling to stabilize his own body.
Jen grabbed his hand, terrified. "Zack! The energy! It's hurting you!"
Olive, trying to stabilize a communicator, growled through gritted teeth. "These energy levels are off the charts. If this continues, every dimension near this one could collapse. We need them to end thisâfast."
Even Legend, in his God Sphere, looked concerned. His hand trembled slightly as he observed the rising imbalance.
"Their power has reached a divine overload. If it goes beyond this... the battle might unmake the threads of space itself."
Back in the Sky...
God of Conquest, laughing with cruel euphoria, surged forward:
"You still resist? You are but guardians of a fading dream! Witness our endgame!"
He unleashed:
"Conquest Ultimatum: Omega Reign."
A world-ending storm of energy axes rained from above, each powered by their fused will to dominate all.
But God of Protection responded in kind:
"We protect what you've forgotten. The hearts, the love, the bonds."
They raised the Sword of Protection high and called forth:
"Sanctuary Eternity: Dark-Light Merge."
A burst of dark and light spread into thousands of radiant shields, each protecting the lives beneath and slashing forward to counter the raining axes.
The sky shattered again.
This time, cracks began to form across the stars themselves, like mirrors about to shatter from the weight of too much power.
In Hellsgate...
Fuga clenched his fist. "They're killing themselves for us... They're pushing too far!"
Tyra stood, tears brimming. "They can't go on like this. They'll die. Or worse..."
Patrick, whispering to Grace: "We... we need to do something."
Grace looked up, determined. "We're not gods. But we are part of their strength."
One by one, the former prisoners, the family, the alliesâthey began chanting, calling out their belief.
"Safari!"
"Angeleva!"
"We believe in you!"
"End this! Come back to us!"
Their words rose through the cracking sky like echoes of hope.
The heavens burned.
The skies tore apart like shredded paper. The stars above warped, spiraling into each other in unnatural patterns, as if reality itself had entered a fever dream.
The battle of the GodsâGod of Conquest versus God of Protectionâraged far beyond mortal understanding, but each moment was precise, each strike fueled by divine resolve and contradiction.
Though Gregory and Patricia, as individuals, had long surpassed Safari and Angeleva in raw, dominant power, their fusion into the God of Conquest was a pure blend of power and conquest, amplifying what already made them terrifying: their overwhelming strength and control. But it lacked one crucial elementâsoul.
In contrast, the fusion of Safari and Angeleva into the God of Protection was far more than just power. It was a celestial manifestation of every emotion, bond, and purpose they had ever carried:
The tears of their fallen family.
The pain of their destroyed planets.
The love they had just begun to build.
The trust forged in fire and blood.
And the dream of a future worth living.
These emotions wove into their very essence, causing the God of Protection to glow brighter with every strike, every defense.
Axe of Conquest came crashing down, a meteor of annihilation aimed at everything.
"Fall. Fall like your dreams. Fall like your people!"
God of Conquest roared, swinging with fury enough to obliterate dimensions.
But God of Protection met the swing, eyes glowing with fierce green-pink light.
"Our people still live in us. And as long as we breatheâthey rise."
With a cry, they raised the Sword of Protection, countering the Axe with:
"Heart-Reckoning Countercross!"
The collision tore open a celestial vortex, pulling in fragments of light and dark, spirit and shadow. The energy spun so fast that time around them paused for a split second, the entire universe holding its breath.
In Hellsgate, the ground began to split. Trees turned to dust. The air warped like liquid. Yet none turned away.
Zack, shaking, used every ounce of healing to stabilize the others.
Jen clasped her hands tightly, whispering silent prayers to no one but Safari and Angeleva.
Olive held Ian, shielding his camera, tears running down her cheeks.
Tyra, Fuga, Darry, Blaine, Clara, Rojo, Waker, Veraâall of Raven's ex-prisonersâstood united in spirit, screaming:
"FIGHT! DON'T STOP! YOU'RE OUR HOPE!"
Even Legend, in his God Sphere, felt a rare chill.
"They're becoming something beyond gods... one born of conquest, one of purpose..."
God of Conquest had raw chaos, monstrous dominance, and crushing presence.
God of Protection had will, clarity, vengeance, empathy, and the unbreakable power of bonds.
The fusion of heart and might made them divinely equal.
Neither one could overpower the other.
Every time the Axe swung, the Sword blocked.
Every time wings of conquest spread, wings of protection mirrored them.
Each screamed, clashed, howled, struckâripping sky, shattering earth.
It was God vs. God. Justice vs. Domination.
The fate of all hung in the balance.
And yet... the longer it continued, the more unstable everything became.
The universe couldn't handle it.
One final strike.
One final moment.
One would fall.
And the world would either burn... or be protected forever.
The sky cracked. The universe groaned. Reality bent.
Above the shattered remains of what once resembled a battlefield, the two godsâConquest and Protectionâhovered like celestial titans. Energy blazed from their bodies like twin suns colliding.
Each breath they took melted the sky. Each movement tore through the laws of existence.
The God of Conquest, with eyes glowing a twisted orange-purple hue, snarled:
"You delay the inevitable. No bond can outlast true strength."
With a flap of its massive wings, it zoomed forward, raising its Axe of Conquest.
"Let this universe witness its new ruler!"
But the God of Protection, wrapped in radiant sap-green and pink light, met it halfway, locking blades with their Sword of Protection. The pressure of their clash erupted into a storm that shot across space.
"This universe doesn't need rulers. It needs guardians."
They pushed off each other, both flying high into the void, then dived down at impossible speed.
Above, their wings spread wide, horns glowing, each God began charging their final techniques.