Shadows Beyond the Stars

What happens when ambition is twisted by gods? What happens when strength meets manipulation? The galaxy holds its breath.

Inside the vast, living hell called Yujiro's Labyrinth, the screams had long faded.

Not because the pain stopped, but because pain had become normal.

One by one, every single general, captain, and warrior from Tempest stepped into the warped gates of the 100th floor. None were spared.

Geld was hurled into a freezing wasteland where gravity crushed every movement.

Shion faced mirror beasts that copied her rage and beat it back tenfold.

Souei danced through storm clouds where every bolt of lightning had a mind.

Hakuro was locked in constant battle, blade against beast, forced to abandon his sword and rely solely on fists.

Goramu fought monsters that regenerated with every drop of blood, unless killed in exactly ten martial arts strikes.

Gabiru fought in fields where air turned poisonous if you lost focus.

And through it all, Yujiro watched. Sometimes in person. Sometimes just a whisper in the wind.

"That footwork is trash."

"Your punch lacks purpose."

"Again. Or I'll make you."

"Do you want to die weak?"

Every time his voice echoed through the air, the monsters flinched. Even the Labyrinth itself seemed to pause—because Yujiro Hanma was not just a man.

He was the Primordial Dominance.

The laws of nature bent around him.

Over time, something changed.

Something beautiful… and terrifying.

The warriors of Tempest began to evolve.

They learned to breathe through pain, to see without seeing, to fight with instinct. Martial arts no longer felt foreign. Their bodies adapted. Their fists cracked stone. Their muscles became tempered like divine steel.

Rimuru—once known for his magic—began striking with such force that magical barriers shattered on contact.

Diablo moved like a shadow, his fists faster than thought, his form smooth and deadly.

Benimaru stopped relying on flame. His punches now carried the weight of a mountain.

Veldora—humbled repeatedly—learned restraint. Every step he took was precise. Every strike had technique behind it.

Hakuro, the old master, wept in secret. "This… this is the pinnacle of martial growth," he whispered after knocking out a monster with a perfect spinning elbow.

Even Gabiru, once a clown, moved like a deadly martial dancer.

They could now face monsters that threw pure magic—and block it with their flesh and fists.

This was no longer just training.

This was transcendence.

Across galaxies, in the cold silence of the Heavenly Palace, a different kind of storm was brewing.

A divine place of white-gold light and floating crystal gardens. Yet beneath the beauty, shadows gathered.

Inside a throne room made of divine crystal, Feldway, the once-radiant Angel, sat with his legs crossed, fingers tapping his chin slowly. Beside him stood the Angel of Origins, Cornu, glowing with golden light that twisted with a silent fury. Zalario, ever composed, leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed.

Then… Obera returned.

She stepped out of a portal of celestial mist, her expression unreadable, her eyes gleaming.

"I have something that will interest you, Feldway," she said, kneeling with a grin.

Feldway turned slowly, interest blooming.

"Speak, Obera."

"His name is Yuuki. Leader of the Free Guild… but also the hidden head of the Harlequin Moderate Clown Alliance."

Cornu raised an eyebrow. "A human?"

"He's not just any human," Obera smirked. "He's sharp. Strategic. Cold. He has no loyalty. While I was spying on the Cardinal World, I heard he's plotting to slow Yujiro down. To strike him and Rimuru from the shadows."

That name—Yujiro—made even Cornu twitch.

"And how," Feldway asked, "does this insect plan to slow down Yujiro?"

"With a spell," Obera answered. "A complex, multilayered curse designed to interrupt kinetic energy and pressure—something that may just slow him for seconds. He wants to use that small window to launch a full strike with his clown allies."

Zalario chuckled darkly. "Ambitious. Foolish. But…"

Cornu leaned forward. "...With our help, that spell could be refined. Stabilized. Multiplied."

Obera nodded. "Exactly. We could make it powerful enough to freeze Yujiro—maybe even trap him."

A long silence.

Then Feldway stood.

"No. We will not ask for his cooperation."

He raised his hand and a cruel light danced in his eyes.

"We will control him."

"You mean—?" Obera began.

Feldway grinned, a smile filled with ancient malice.

"A divine puppet spell. One crafted from the original Source Code. We lace it into his ambition, feed it into his magic. By the time he completes it—he will be ours."

Zalario clapped once. "Brilliant. He won't even know he's fallen."

Cornu added, "And once Yujiro is immobilized, we strike. We defeat the true dragons. Extract their dragon factors. And reset the balance of the worlds by resurecting Veldanava."

"Prepare the ritual," Feldway said darkly. "Yuuki will become our greatest weapon… and he won't even know it."

They all laughed.

Heaven shook.

Six months passed inside the Labyrinth.

Only one week outside.

When the first group emerged, they weren't the same people.

Rimuru's aura was silent—but heavy, like a storm before it breaks.

Diablo's eyes burned calmly, his every move deliberate.

Benimaru stood taller, his presence quiet but commanding.

Veldora didn't say a word—he only looked at the sky and breathed.

The other generals came next, one by one, every single one transformed.

Gabiru was no longer a joke. Goramu radiated calm power. Hakuro wept with pride. Shion smiled—but her fists cracked the stone wall behind her.

Yujiro stood at the exit of the Labyrinth, arms folded.

He looked at all of them.

"You're not ready yet. But you're closer."

He turned to walk back into the shadows of the gate.

"Rest. Then return. The real training begins next cycle."

Their bodies trembled—but not from fear.

This time, it was excitement.

They were warriors now.

But none of them knew…

…that across the stars, an invisible chain was being wrapped around Yuuki's soul.

It had been days.

Milim Nava, the Dragon Princess, the Destroyer, one of the oldest and most powerful beings in existence, was… bored.

She sat at the edge of a cliff overlooking Tempest, swinging her legs and sighing loudly for the twentieth time in an hour.

"Ughhh! I'm so bored!!" she groaned, stretching her arms.

She had been told by Uncle Yujiro—yes, the Yujiro Hanma, Primordial Dominance himself—to wait. Apparently, she wasn't supposed to enter the new Labyrinth yet. He had something special planned for her. "Special training," he said.

At first, she was excited.

But now?

She was climbing the walls from how slow time felt.

She had eaten everything she wanted, challenged Gobta and lost interest in two seconds, and Rimuru wouldn't even spar with her anymore. He was too tired from the Labyrinth training. Everyone was training. Except her.

Milim stood up, cracked her knuckles, and yelled to no one in particular:

"Forget this! I'm going to visit Guy and Velzard!"

And just like that, with a booming sonic boom, she shot off into the sky, leaving a shockwave that shattered a few clouds over Tempest.

BOOM!

A massive crater formed just outside the grand palace of the Ice Continent.

Inside the dining hall, Guy Crimson, the strongest demon lord, was calmly slicing into a tender cut of divine beast meat. Across from him, the graceful yet terrifying Velzard, the White Ice Dragon, was sipping wine elegantly.

They were having a rare quiet evening together.

Served dutifully by Rain and Misery, Guy's eternally loyal (and often annoyed) aides.

That peace?

Gone.

CRAAACKKKKKK…

The grand palace doors flew open—no, blew off the hinges.

A hurricane of wind and energy rushed into the hall, sending plates, napkins, and even Misery's hair flying.

Milim walked in, hands on her hips, grinning brightly.

"Heyyyyyy!!" she yelled cheerfully. "What's for dinner?"

Guy didn't even look up. He was mid-bite and scowled.

"Milim…" he groaned, "can't you use the DOOR like a normal person?"

Velzard just sighed and gently set her wine glass down.

Rain turned her head slightly, whispering to Misery:

"I almost dropped the roast…"

Misery whispered back:

"...I was this close to laughing."

Milim ignored the complaints entirely and pulled out a chair, crashing down into it like a child at a feast.

"So whatcha eating?"

Velzard gave her a sideways glance.

"What brings you here this time, Milim?

Another war you forgot to mention?"

Milim munched on a roll from the table and shook her head.

"Nah. I just got bored waiting for my turn. Uncle Yujiro told me to wait outside the Labyrinth, said he's got special training for me. So I thought I'd visit my besties!"

Guy raised an eyebrow. Now that got his attention.

"Wait. What Labyrinth?"

Milim nodded eagerly, mouth full of food.

"Oh yeah, Uncle Yujiro made Ramiris rebuild it into this super insane training ground. Like... crazy stuff. He made her change the whole thing. Rimuru, Veldora, Diablo—they've all been inside."

"And?" Guy asked, now leaning forward slightly, wiping his mouth with a cloth.

Milim swallowed.

"They came out after a week. But for them, it was six months inside. Then week after week, their strength… I could feel it. It's on a different level. They can now fight even against magic without using any skills or magic—just pure fists! Just like Yujiro! But not on his level though"

Guy dropped his fork with a sharp clang.

"...You're telling me… Rimuru and Veldora are getting stronger than me?"

"I didn't say that," Milim grinned. "But you're thinking it!"

Velzard narrowed her eyes.

"...Veldora's going to be unbearable if that's true."

Guy stood up, taking a deep breath and finishing his wine in one go.

"Nope. Not happening. I'm going."

Velzard blinked.

"Going where?"

"Where do you think?" he said sharply. "To Tempest. I'm not about to sit here sipping wine while Rimuru, Diablo, or Veldora of all people start surpassing me."

Velzard stood, setting her glass down with a soft clink.

"Hmph. I'm coming too. There's no way I'll let my idiot little brother act smug in front of me."

Guy turned to Rain and Misery, who were already halfway packed just from instinct.

"Let's go."

Rain smirked. "Already ahead of you."

Misery nodded. "If Veldora surpasses you two, the universe might collapse in confusion."

Milim gave a thumbs-up while still chewing.

"I'll meet you guys there when I finish dinner! Don't wait!"

As Guy and Velzard vanished into the sky in streaks of crimson and white lightning, Milim watched the trail fade with a grin.

"This is gonna be fun…"

She leaned back, chewing on a rib bone.

"Rimuru's stronger. Veldora's stronger. Diablo's scary. Benimaru is getting terrifying. The others too… But when it's my turn…"

Her aura flared just slightly.

"I'll show Uncle Yujiro… why I'm the strongest dragon."

Back at Tempest, a storm was coming.

Not one of war.

Not one of death.

But a rivalry of monsters, gods, demons, and dragons—all vying for strength, glory, and survival.

And Yujiro?

Yujiro just smirked in the shadows of the Labyrinth, sensing the storm heading his way.