The beginning of Reikar's journey

As soon as AB18 steps back, AU strikes.

In an instant, the air shifts. The clouds above grow silent, unnaturally still, as if frozen in time. A heavy pressure fills the atmosphere, pressing down on everything.

Reikar's body locks up.

His breath catches in his throat. His muscles refuse to move. His once-unshakable power—completely paralyzed.

AU stands before him, his eyes calm but merciless. "I control the very weight of existence around us," he says. "And right now... you are nothing but a statue."

Reikar grits his teeth. No. He refuses to be held down. He has trained too long, fought too hard to let this be his limit.

His mind races. He needs to break free—but how?

Does he fight back with raw strength, trying to overpower AU's ability?

Or does he search for another way—a technique, a weakness, a way to turn this battle around?

Reikar's rage erupts.

His body may be numb, but his will is unbreakable. His training, his suffering, his purpose—all of it surges through him.

With every ounce of strength, he forces his arm to move. Then his leg. Then his entire body. His very existence rejects the weight pressing down on him.

"HASHIMO!... 100!!!"

A blinding ray of pure energy explodes from him, tearing through the battlefield like a divine force. The ground beneath him cracks apart, the sky above him splits, the air itself trembles at the sheer magnitude of his attack.

And then…

Silence.

Reikar collapses. His vision fades, his consciousness slipping. Did it work?

For a moment, AU still stands. Unharmed. Unshaken. Untouched.

AB18 watches, unimpressed. "Pathetic," he mutters.

Then—AU's body trembles.

A single crack forms across his chest. His pupils dilate. He stares at his own hands, confused, before—

He falls.

Dead.

AB18's eyes narrow. "Impossible."

The weakest soldier in his army—defeated. Not by a god, not by a supernatural force, but by a human.

No. Not just any human.

A warrior destined for something beyond.

He is Reikar.

As Reikar lies unconscious, his body completely drained, AB18 takes a step forward. He looks down at this "mere human" who just did the unthinkable.

And for the first time in centuries, a thought crosses AB18's mind.

"Maybe… just maybe… he is the one."

What happens next? Does AB18 take Reikar with him? Or does Reikar awaken, stronger than ever?

AB18 stands over Reikar's unconscious body, staring at him in silence.

The ground is shattered, AU's lifeless body lies motionless, and the battlefield is eerily still. This human... this warrior... has just done the impossible.

AB18 exhales, shaking his head slightly. "I wasn't wrong about you."

With a flick of his wrist, the air distorts around them. Reality itself bends as if obeying his will. Then, in an instant—

They vanish.

—

??? – Unknown Location

Reikar's mind drifts in darkness. He is weightless, floating between consciousness and unconsciousness. His body should be broken, exhausted beyond repair… but something is happening.

A surge of energy flows through him—different from anything he has felt before. It's not just strength, not just power. It's something deeper. Something awakening.

Then—his eyes snap open.

He is no longer on Earth.

He finds himself in a massive chamber, unlike anything he's ever seen. The walls hum with raw energy, ancient symbols glow faintly, and in the center of it all stands AB18, waiting.

Reikar clenches his fists, his body still recovering. "Where… am I?"

AB18 smirks. "Somewhere far beyond your world."

He steps forward, looking at Reikar as if evaluating him once more. "You are no ordinary human, Reikar. You were meant for more. But before you can understand your destiny... you must survive where you are now."

Reikar narrows his eyes. "And where exactly is that?"

AB18's smirk widens. "Welcome to the Realm of the Ascended. Your real journey begins now."

What happens next? Does Reikar begin a new kind of training? Or does he meet something… or someone… far more dangerous?

Ascending Muendo – The Realm Beyond Mortals

Reikar's body still aches from the battle, but his mind is sharp. He scans the strange realm around him—Ascending Muendo.

The air is heavy, charged with an unfamiliar energy. The sky shifts in colors he has never seen before. Structures float in the distance, and warriors beyond human comprehension train relentlessly, their movements defying the laws of physics.

Before he can fully process his surroundings, AB18 speaks.

"Congratulations, Reikar. You are now the weakest soldier under my command."

Reikar's eyes widen. "What?!"

"It takes millions of years of training for most to earn that rank," AB18 continues, "but you skipped all of that. You should be honored."

Reikar clenches his fists. "Honored? You're calling me the weakest?"

The warriors around him stop their training, their eyes now locked onto him. Some smirk. Others shake their heads. To them, he is nothing.

AB18 chuckles. "Oh, you'll understand soon enough."

Suddenly, a towering figure steps forward—a warrior even larger than Reikar, his body pulsing with barely contained power.

"So this is the human that killed AU?" the warrior scoffs. "Pathetic. If he's the weakest now, it's my job to train him."

AB18 nods. "Then make sure he doesn't die. Not yet."

Reikar grins. "Train me? I've already fought monsters. You think I'm scared?"

The warrior smirks. "Scared? No. But unprepared? Absolutely."

With that, he vanishes.

Before Reikar can react, a fist slams into his gut.

The force sends him flying across the realm, crashing through mountains, breaking through ancient structures. His body skids across the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.

For the first time… he realizes something terrifying.

He is truly… the weakest one here.

And if he wants to survive, he must train harder than he ever has before.

"The Awakening of Something Beyond"

Reikar crashes through mountains, his body battered, blood dripping from his mouth. But even as pain surges through him—his pride refuses to break.

His heart pounds. His vision sharpens. Something inside him stirs.

He grits his teeth, fists clenching so hard his knuckles turn white. This is not where he falls.

With a deafening roar, he launches forward, his body moving faster than even he expected. The very ground beneath him shatters as he lunges at the massive warrior who dared to strike him.

"I WON'T BE THE WEAKEST!"

But just as his fist is about to land—

AB18 moves.

Faster than light, faster than thought, he appears between them and catches Reikar's punch with two fingers.

The impact doesn't just stop—time itself feels like it freezes.

The realm of Ascending Muendo trembles.

The larger warrior who had hit Reikar before—his entire body stiffens in terror. His eyes widen, sweat dripping down his face.

He stares at Reikar—not in arrogance, not in anger—but in pure horror.

Even AB18, the one who had seen countless warriors, pauses. His unreadable expression finally changes. His eyes narrow, his lips curling slightly, almost into a grin.

"So that's what it is…" he mutters.

Reikar breathes heavily, confused. "What are you talking about?"

The larger warrior stumbles back, his voice shaking. "No… it's impossible. That aura… That power… That mark… He shouldn't exist."

Reikar looks down at himself.

Something glows faintly on his chest—a symbol he has never seen before. A mark that pulses with a power beyond the realm of Ascending Muendo.

AB18 steps closer, examining it, his grin widening. "I knew you were different. But this?"

His eyes lock onto Reikar's. "You are not just strong. You are something beyond warriors, beyond fate itself."

Reikar clenches his fists. "What does that mean?"

AB18 chuckles, shaking his head. "It means, Reikar…"

"You were never meant to be one of us."

"You were meant to be something greater."

The entire realm watches, their strongest warriors now uncertain. For the first time in history, AB18—the entity who had ruled over them all—had found something even he couldn't predict.

What happens next? Does AB18 reveal the truth behind Reikar's existence? Or does an even greater force take notice of his awakening?

We'll see in next chapter.